The secret of the dark mansion
by shinigami-karin
Summary: Karin Kurosaki was engaged with Toshiro Hitsugaya since they were children, but they know each other only from letters. When some event push Hitsugaya to broke the contract with Karin, the girl decided to found out what was going on on her own...HK IR
1. The plan

Hello XD

This is my firts fanfic about HitsuKarin, so please be gentle with me :D

The plot of this story is borrowed from one of the story wrote by Margit Sandemo, I just changed it a little :D hope you like it.

Anyway, please leave some reviews after you read it ^^

Ejoy :D

The warm wind blowing firmly was the best sign of the upcoming spring. Karin looked around. It was one her favourite season, when the life was coming to life and the winter's gloomy (in her opinion) atmosphere was leaving the air around city. There still was snow on the ground in few places, but now it had lightly blue color and soon was going to disappear completely, just like the ice on the river, very thin and almost invisible at this day. Karin sighed. She would really enjoyed her surroundings very much of not the letter which she received earlier today. She run her hand through her long black hair. Her life really was screwed.

She was the older daughter, if the doctor of the very prospective doctor. She also had older brother, Ichigo who was already married to Rukia Kuchiki, and Karin wandered how it possible that this two hadn't kill each other already. Sometimes, their love-hate relationship was beyond her. There also was her adopted sister, daughter of the late friends of her father, Lurichiyo. She and Yuzu were really elegant and beauty in her opinion. Yuzu was very delicate, with brown light hair and big eyes, always smiling. She reminded Karin a little about fairy from the stories which she read very often. Lurichiyo on the other hand had blond hair, and green eyes. She and Karin never went along very well, even if they tried to keep it to themselves, not wanting to disturb the rest of the family. Their characters just... didn't clash very well. While Karin could talk without any problem with her twin, her second sister was other case.

Karin always thought that she was the ugly duckling of the Kurosaki family. She as only one of the siblings went after their father, having black hair and very dark grey eyes. She had also petite figure and very fierily temper, which, connected with her impatience, was very bad connection. She was coming back to the home from the post office, where she was sent by her father, folding the envelope in her hand.

'I won't show this to anyone.' she decided, sighing heavingly 'There is no way in hell that I will put myself to so much humiliation.' she could see the face of Lurichiyo if she found out. She almost punched the imagination of the face which showed itself in front of her eyes, but stopped herself when she saw some bypass looking on her worriedly. She smiled sheepishly before hurrying away.

She went on the forest path leading tpo the road to her home and slow down. She was so engaged in her thoughts that she didn't even heard the horse behind her until something fell on her head with heavy thump.

"What the...!" but before she finished she felt other thump and the voice of her brother was heard from above.

"Watch your language, sis." Ichigo Kurosaki said, looking down on his sister with slight amusment, bending over his horse's, Zangetsu, neck. "What would Yuzu or Lurichiyo said if they heard it?"

"Probably feint right where they stand." she answered thrutfully, hiding the envelope quickly into her pocket. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked, looking on his brother and looking around for his wife. "And where is Rukia?"

"I just have to ask father about some sick patient, that's all." he answered. He was a doctor in the nearby village. "And Rukia stayed in home, waiting impatiently for her dear husband to greet him properly." he smirked. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, rather waiting impatiently for her dear husband to kick his ass again." she said, quickly ducking before her brother could smack her head."

"Shut up, pip! Have some respect to your older brother!"

"Like I would ever, fruit-ass!"

Ichigo smiled down on her. Sometimes he really missed to live with them.

"Come on, sis, I will drop you home." he said, helping her to sit behind his back. The whole ride, like always, was full of their bickering and laugh.

When the two siblings entered the home they were greeted by peaceful and warm atmosphere, as always. Karin took off her coat, taking the envelope from it before and hiding it in her dress without Ichigo noticing. She took also other letters from pocket. When she stopped near the mirror she looked into it and turned away. She never liked her stright hair.

"Don't tell me that you are turning into some snob." Ichigo said from behind her.

"Ichi-nii, I'm girl. That means that sometimes I also like to check myself." she rolled her eyes on her brother.

"Really? I haven't notice it before." Ichigo smirked and ducked, but not fast enough to miss his sister's kick. Like for girl, Karin was pretty strong.

Without second glance on her brother, Karin went to the living room, where she was greeted by Yuzu, Lurichiyo and her father, who like always tried to envelope girl into his hug. But she quickly moved aside, letting her father pass her and ending up in the 'bonding' with his son, what meant beating the crap out from each other.

"Father, I've got the post you asked." she said over her shoulder, dropping the letters on the shelf next to the wall. That stopped two men and Isshin Kurosaki went to took the letters.

"You shouldn't be so long out, Karin-chan." Yuzu said gently to her twin after greeting. "It will damage your complexion."

"Don't worry, Yuzu, it's not cold outside." Karin answered her, standing near the door. "You can feel spring in the air already." she smiled on her twin, who only shook her head. Everybody knew how much Karin loved the nature. "But anyway, I'm going to my room now, don't come to me if this two will kill each other." she said pointing on her brother and father, who were again at each other throats. But before she could leave, she was stopped again.

"Karin, I've got enough of it." Lurichiyo said with complaint in her voice. "If this situation won't change soon, all of us will stay an old maid, because of you."

Karin stopped death in her track. It was unwritten rule in her family: the oldest of the sibling was getting married as the first. Since Ichigo had already Rukia, it was now her turn, before both Yuzu and Lurichiyo would do it. It really made her life even more screwed. She had to listen Lurichiyo's whiling at least once a week.

"Stop tormenting Karin-chan, Lurichiyo-chan." Yuzu said in the defense on her sister.

"But I want to get marry." Lurichiyo said. She had been engaged since she was child. "I'm eighteen already, you twenty. Why can't we married our fiancés now?" she turned to Isshin.

"No, the rule is strict: first the older one. If not, any of you will change your civil state." the head of the family said, stopping his fight with Ichigo.

"But Karin is twenty, she should be married already for three years." Lurichiyo continued, pointing on the girl in the question who was doing her best to not attack her youngest sister. And there is no sign of the wedding in near future. She only gets presents on the Christmas and birthday, but I've never seen her fiancé visiting her. Why?"

Karin stiffened.

"Well, Hitsugaya-san is living far from us..." Yuzu answered, looking rather uncomfortable. And is really busy. It's not easy..."

"In my opinion we should get married immediately." Lurichiyo interrupted her, looking on Isshin pleadingly. "I'm worried that if we will wait any longer, it can discourage our fiancés."

"There is no way you are doing that."Isshin said, coming closer to the girls and sitting on the coach. "Your fiancés are coming from very good families, and the contracts are strictly unbreakable. We choose very carefully."

"We know, uncle." Lurichiyo said again, smiling sweetly. Karin wanted gag. "But what if they fell in love with someone other? We will be living in distrustful relationship..."

"No way in hell that you will be doing it!" Ichigo said loudly, cutting out Lurichiyo's whiling. "Karin will be first or none of you. There is no bloody way that I will let you bring shame on her. It would be terrible for her if younger siblings were first with husband and children while her..."

"Ichi-nii, enough!" Karin interrupted him and he look on her. "I don't mind it."

"But Karin-chan, Hitsugaya-san never took his word away. He just asked for a little time." Isshin said, looking on his older daughter with care present on his eyes.

"A little?" Lurichiyo said ironically. "Maybe he visited here incognito and saw who..." she was stopped in the middle of her sentence.

"Lurichiyo!" Ichigo shouted loudly, glaring on the girl who look worriedly on him.

Karin stiffened even more, but didn't change her face. She would never show any weakness in front of her family. She wasn't like this. She was strong and she hated any weak emotions inside her. She could feel the anger of her brother, who stood next to her.

"I think that I will go upstairs." she said, not wanting to kill Lurichiyo, what she afraid could happen if she stayed down longer.

She could feel their gazes on her back when she was leaving. She went on the stairs when she heard voices downstairs.

"Lurichiyo-chan, how could you said something like that?" Yuzu's gentle voice was holding deep scowl. "This whole situation is also tiring for her."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to…"

"You are going to apologize to her!" Ichigo said angry and Karin closed the door behind her, not wanting to hear anything more.

Karin sat comfortably in her room and switch the light on. After some thought she took away the envelope from her pocket and was looking on this for some time. Inside was second envelope, addressed to her father, which she wasn't going to open. She took the letter addressed to her and read it again.

_Dear Karin,_

_Even if we never met before you were always presented in my mind as, I wish, I was in your. After all, we were promised to each other since we were children. _

_Writing this is very hard for me. You have to believe that I was never intended to hurt you. But now i have to do it, against my will. I'm aware that you were disappointed so many times when I was moving the date of our wedding. But there were very important events behind this. _

_And now, fully against my will, I have to break the contract between my parents and yours. I'm doing this with big pain in my heart. I wished to spent my life next to my wife, and you, what I can suspect on the based of your letters, are a kind and friendly person._

_But please, don't think wrongly about me. The reason behind this is not other woman. I would never break the contract because of it. But I didn't have other choice but this one. And I'm doing this mostly for your own safety. _

_For the longer time I oppressed by the thought that I couldn't visit you. I should do it long time ago, but believe me, it was impossible for me to do so. I'm really sorry but I can't say any more about it. _

_I'm also sending the letter to your father, where I'm leaving your free from any obligation to me. Unfortunately, I also can't give more proper reason for this unbelievable decision of mine. I can only have hope that you have met the man who you truly love and who you couldn't marry because of the contract. Now you are free. _

_I know that what I'm doing is terrible and that I hurt you more that I can imagine. I can only beg you for understanding and forgiveness._

_Truly yours_

_Toshiro Hitsugaya_

Karin put the letter aside and sat deeper in her chair. Met another man? Like it would even happen. She could only agreed that he hurt her beyond imagination. After all, the contract was the only way for her to get married. At least, in her opinion. She furrowed her brows.

And also, she never saw Toshiro Hitsugaya before in her live, but very often she imagined it. Dark hair, blue eyes. She only new that she was older by three years than her. He was also the hair of big mansion called Suisen in Seiretei, which was inherited by every men in his family. And it could never been sold, only the members of family could be the owners of it. Now it belonged to Toshiro. And on this in reality stopped Karin's knowledge about her fiance.

'Ex-fiance' he thought bitterly, smiling sadly.

Then she remembered that her aunt Yourichi, sister of her late mother, who lived close Seiretei, had said once that there were some gossips about ghosts or curse, but she didn't remembered this fully.

But from short letters from Toshiro she felt some kind of connection with him. Hell, she even told him few of her secrets. He was kind, kind of ironical sometimes, but he had accepted her without doubt.

And now he broke up with her.

She felt shame and anger. And also fear. How the hell she was going to tell it to her family? But she faced reality: there was big possibility that she would end up all alone. She didn't know much men who would ask for her hand, maybe only this who wanted her father's fortune. Or some widower who had children in her age. But she had to do something... maybe she could go to the nunnery? She thought about it and move it aside. She could destroy the place during first week, considering her temper.

When she heard knocking to the door, she quickly hide the letter under her pillow and fixed her hair.

"Come in." she said when she sat up straight. She sighed with relief when she saw that it was Ichigo. She didn't really felt like dealing with Lurichiyo right now.

"Yo, kido." he smiled on her, and sat on the bad. "How are you?"

Karin looked on him doubtfully.

"Since when you are coming to me with polite conversation?" she asked him and earned the eyes roll in answer.

"Ok, ok." Ichigo said, holding his hands up. "I just wanted to aks how much Lurichiyo's words hurt you."

And here he was: her brother who always knew how she felt, even if she tried to hide it. Even Yuzu wasn't able to read her that well.

"Ichi-nii, I'm perfectly fine." she answered, holding her facade "You don't have to worry about..." before she finished she was met with the pillow landing straight on her face.

"It's bullshit and you know it." Ichigo's eyes were bored into her when she took the pillow of. She sighed.

"Ok, maybe it hurts a little." she said and he looked on her. "A little much..." he still was looking on her. "Ok, it hurts like hell, happy now?"

"No, because you are hurt." he answered. "Come here." he said, pointing on the place next to him on the bed. She stood up and sat on his right side on her bed. What she wasn't expecting was her brother putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in one-armed hug. They both didn't like close proximity very much, so the hugs between them were very rare. But after a while she put her head on his shoulder, enjoying the safety which her brother was giving her.

"Listen me, Karin." he said looking ahead. "You shouldn't really care about Lurichiyo's words, she is just jealous of you."

Karin snorted.

"There is nothing to be jealous of."

Smack on the head from her brother. But he didn't let go of her.

"Yes there is. You are far more better person than Lurichiyo will ever be. You are cheerful, smiling, smart, intelligent, friendly and you have never looked on anyone from above. You believe in people and their good sides. When me or Yuzu were sad or trouble you always tried to made everything better. Hell, you even bitted this guy who said something to Yuzu." she smiled on the memory. Poor guy was avoiding her since the event. "Do you want to know what out mum was always saying?" he asked and she shook her head. It was rare that Ichigo was talking about their mother. "She always said that what was making one person beautiful aren't golden hair or any other color or big eyes or something like that, but their personalities, what they had inside. What is the most important in person is her heart, the bigger the better. And in my opinion, Karin, you have the biggest heart in our family. Even when you the crap from old dad."

Karin felt the tears building in her eyes. She never expected so deep words from Ichigo.

"ichi-nii..." she said hiding her face in his arm.

"Oi! Don't tell me you are going to cry!" he panicked a little. Dealing with crying Karin Kurosaki was... well, he didn't know how it was since it never happened before. "Since when you are so girly?" he asked her, patting her head. And earning himself stab in stomach.

"I'm not girly baka!" Karin said, lifting her head. "And since when you are so softy?" she asked and he smiled on her. Good, the old Karin is back.

"I'm not softy, I just decided that some words of wisdom are needed here." he said and ruffled her hair.

"Words of wisdom? From what you took them?" he scowled on her and stood up.

"Shut up, midget, and come for dinner."

Karin was lying in her bed, not able to think. She still didn't know what to say her family. She didn't want to give them so big burden. She closed her eyes, sighing furiously. What the hell could she do?

Then the idea came into her mind. She opened her eyes and sit up on her bed. It was perfect in her opinion. Well, maybe not perfect, but it was the only idea that came up to her. Maybe it was crazy, but after all, what was normal in Karin Kurosaki?

She knew who could help her in this plan. Rukia was out of question, she needed someone closer to the Seiretei. So she stood up and went to her desk, pulling out some paper from it. She sat on her chair and started to writing. Her aunt Yourichi was her only hope. And she was pretty sure that she would get help from her. Karin needed someone who she could trust with her secret.

She waited few weeks for the answer from her aunt. And wasn't disappointed. The answer from her aunt was positive, even if little mysterious. Yourichi hotly invited Karin to her, saying that together they could 'made some good and delicious meal".

Isshin was little surprised by the letter.

"You aunt is going to teach you cook? Can she even cook?" he said, without his always presented goofiness and looked on Karin.

"Surely yes. And she always can teach me something new. After all, she travelled a lot, and it can be helpful in the future. " she answered, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"Hmm…" Isshin looked down on the letter again. "How are you going to get there?"

"By train." She said quickly, expecting this question.

"Alone? Maybe you could take Yuzu with you? The travel would be better if you go together." He offered, looking on her closely.

"No!" she said loudly and when Isshin looked on her suspiciously she covered it. "I mean, look, aunt Yourichi invited only me, because of the renovation she can't invite much quests."

"Maybe at least Urahara would accompany you?" he asked and she almost screamed in frustration. Urahara? What the hell her father was thinking? He was the man working with her father, but Karin didn't really know what he was doing. And wasn't curious about it. "Well, it settled. Urahara will drop you to Seiretei and then will come for you after the month." Isshin said, dropping the letter on the desk. "But what if you get letter from Hitsugaya-san in this time? Or visited you?"

"I don't think so." Karin said, almost smiling. "And if it will happen you will just inform him where I am."

Her father looked on her suspiciously. He knew that Karin was hiding something from him, he knew her children. And letting Karin spent a month with Yourichi… he was just glad that wouldn't be around them .He sighed. He hoped that Karin knew what she was doing and don't put herself in any trouble.

After few days, they were bidding farewell in the station…

The road with Urahara was rather eventful. He was talking all the time and Karin had to shut him up few times with the help of her foot or hand. It earned her few glances from travelers, but she didn't care, like always. After long, too long for Karin, travel, they finally arrived on the station in Seiretei. Karin get out from train with help from Urahara, who went first. When she only let her feet on the ground she was immediately met by the hug and smell of delicate perfume.

"Karin! It was too long! Why didn't you met me earlier?" if Karin wasn't trying to freed herself from deadly clutches of her aunt she would smile. But now her whole attention was on trying to breath. Yourichi liked to do it to her and Ichigo.

"Yare, yare, Yourichi-san, you should let your niece breath a little." The girl was never as glad to had Urahara as now.

"Urahara." Yourichi said surprised, looking on the man and letting Karin free. "And what are you doing here?"

"Dad insisted on taking him with me." Karin said to her. "But he will go tomorrow, right?" she looked on the man.

"Karin-san, when you are talking like that I have impression that you don't want me here." He said, hiding his smirk behind the fan. "Or maybe you are trying to hide something?"

Karin glanced on her aunt. He couldn't… could he?

"Urahara, you didn't want to put you nose in other's people business, right?" Yourichi asked looking on the man, not showing any kind of worry. "And we have to talk. We didn't see each other for so long."

"It was two months, Yourichi-san." He answered politely like always, still hiding his smirk.

"And it was long time." she yanked his arm and led him and Karin behind her.

Karin couldn't talk with her aunt until next day, when Urahara, after long party, which had lasted until late night, leave to his home. When Karin went downstairs from her temporary bedroom, she was greeted by the sight of her aunt, sitting on the chair with her head on the table. When she heard that someone was coming she lifted her head. Karin smirked on her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting opposite her.

"I hate hang-over." Yourichi said, holding her head. "I tried to drunk this guy but his head is harder than bloody stone."

Karin sniggered on it.

"But anyway…" Yourichi said, straightening. "In Suisen they need maid. But requirements are pretty high: girl has to be very well mannered and be experienced. It would be the best if it wasn't her first work in higher class."

"Maid?" Karin asked, thinking deeply. "I think that I will managed somehow."

"Good." Older woman said, taking the cake to eat. "There are no children in Suisen, only step sister of Toshiro, Hiyori, who is around nineteen or eighteen years old."

"I didn't know that he has a sister." Karin looked surprised on this revelation.

"Well, I couldn't get more information than this. They are very mysterious and aren't letting strangers to know anything about them. "

Karin thought about it. She started to doubt if it was that good idea after all, but brushed it aside. Now wasn't a time for this.

"But you said that there is some curse or something. It is rather… intriguing."

"Just some gossips from maids." Yourichi answered shrugging.

"But tell me anyway, better to know everything about this place." Karin said also taking a piece of cake.

Yourichi thought about this for a moment.

"Well it was about one of the woman who were owner of the mansion for some time. From 17th century if I'm not wrong… From what I heard she was very cruel and wanted to have power. She couldn't deal with any other women in the mansion. She was supposed to kill her rival or daughter-on-love… It is still mysterious in this story. Anyway, people are saying that there are ghost. But I don't know if it is true. But they are saying that this two hundred years old lady hate the wives of the hairs. Are you sure that you want to go there, Karin-chan?" she asked, looking on her closely.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Karin said stubbornly. "I have to know why he decided to do it. You know me, I can't resign without good motives. I want to know what is going on."

Yourichi smiled on this.

"Sometimes I think that you are more similar to me than to your own mother. I would do this same in you place." She said, taking second piece of cake. "But, I have one more information to you."

Karin looked up on her aunt.

"Toshiro, even if he is a hair, isn't the oldest son."

"What happened with his brother?" Karin asked, sitting more comfortably.

"And this is the tragic story." Yourichi sighed. "Three days after the wedding his wife failed from the stairs and killed herself. He was so heartbroken that he shoot himself in his room."

Karin felt shiver run over her back.

"Their mother died when they were young. Their father remarried with a widow, Rangiku, who already had little daughter, Hiyori. After few years, their father died, leaving Rangiku with three children. Thankfully, already grown up."

"So, Toshiro is leaving alone with Rangiku and Hiyori?" Karin asked, thinking about everything.

"No, Rangiku's sister, Momo, moved in with them. She is very… sacrificial, if I can say. "

"So Rangiku is the only one who wasn't killed?"

"Yeah it looks like that." Yourichi stood up, walking closer to the desk. "I already prepared you the letter with accommodation. You will take it with you. I wrote that you worked at my place and was very good and clever… Are you clever?" she smirked on her niece's glare. "Right. I don't think that they will catch up that we are family. But anyway I named you Cathrine Shisaki."

"Shisaki? Pretty good." Karin said taking the letter from her aunt.

"But be careful!" Yourichi said, looking on her closely. "Try not to be close to Toshiro. It would be better if he never find out about it."

"No problem." Karin said. "Careful is my second name." she smirked on her aunt.

Yourichi snorted.

"Yeah, just like Ichigo's is brilliant." Karin laughed at this.

"But anyway, if you will be in trouble tell me about it. I will help you as much as I can." She looked on her again. "Are you scared?"

"No, I'm not." Karin said without hesitation.

But she wasn't sure if it was true.


	2. Learn how to work

The weather next day didn't rise Karin's spirit. There was raining since the mourning, without even slightest sign of stopping. Because of this, she wasn't able to start her adventure before the dusk.

"You okay?" Yourichi asked, when Karin went down with her bag.

"Yeah, pretty good." She answered, smiling on her aunt, but it was pretty forced. "Thanks for everything." Karin hugged his aunt, taking some courage from her.

"I hope that you will be okay." Yourichi sighed. "If not your brother and father will skin me alive." She smirked on the thought. Like Ichigo would ever do something to her.

They both walked in front of the home, where was waiting cab paid before by Yourichi. It would be little suspicious if Karin drove to Suisen by one which belonged to her aunt. So after many advices from her aunt Karin was sitting in the cab looking through the window. It was already dark outside and she thought if it would be all right if she came there so late. She hoped it was. The drive because of the wet road took longer than it would normally, according to the driver. So when they arrived it was already good after ten. The driver helped her with her bag when they stopped before the mansion. She looked around. Suisen was hidden in the forest in the backside of the Seiretei. She felt as the shiver run through her back. In the night during rain the surroundings looked pretty scary. When the driver handed her the bag she thanked him and moved to the door. She knocked and waited until someone would open them for her.

'What the hell is taking so long?' she thought irritated. She was already soaked and she was only few minutes out. Finally she heard some commotion behind the door and they opened.

"What do you want?" the man who opened them asked her. Karin furrowed her brow. He could be little nicer but she didn't say anything.

"I heard that you are looking for new maid. I just arrived, because my train was late…" Karin started but was interrupted

"Who is it?" quite voice was heard behind the man who turned around to look at the person. Karin saw young girl, around twenty two with dark brown hair under the bun and brown eyes. She was smiling politely on them both, but Karin felt like it was forced.

"Some young girl is saying that she is looking for a job. Her train was late." With that he opened the door further, allowing Karin to went inside.

She looked around. The hall was really big. And pretty dark, she had to admit. The lamps on the both walls weren't helping very much with this. She looked again on the woman in front of her.

"Please, come with me." She said , leading her to also big room with dark furniture. It was very different from the bright colors in her family home. 'No!' she reminded herself 'Now it's not a time to fell homesick. Take a grip!'

She saw a women, around forty, sitting in the chair and reading the book, looking little bored. She had long, curly strawberry blond hair and very blue eyes. And, as Karin saw without her will, big boobs. When she saw them her eyes sparkled with interest and she stood up. The girl with Karin repeated her story to her.

"But in the Commune they told me that there are no girls available." The woman said surprised and looked on Karin.

"My name is Cathrine Shisaki." She said bowing a little. "I found out accidentally in the city that you are looking for a maid. I recently lost my job and place to live so I decided to try. This are my references. " she handed the woman in front her the letter wrote by Yourichi, which the blonde read with interest.

Then Karin discovered that in the room is one more person. On the background, hide in the shadow was standing without any movement a man. 'Well, not surprise that I didn't see him before, she is almost drown in this shadow.' She thought. When they looks met, he went out from the shadow. He came closer in the moment when the drop of the rain in her hair decided to drip straight on her nose. She wiped it quickly, seeing that the man rise his brow in amusement. She promised that she wouldn't blush. No way in hell that she would do it. But she did…

She looked on the man again. He was shortly after twenty, tall, with white hair, which amused Karin deeply, but what moved her the most were his eyes: the teal color of it was unforgettable. And he was looking in her eyes as he could read her soul.

She was sure: the man in front of her was one and only Toshiro Hitsugaya. She bowed at him, taking her eyes from his face.

"Well, that's very high opinion, look!" the woman from before said, sticking the letter almost in face of Toshiro. Karin could see the annoyance because of it on his face. He took the letter and started to read it, while a woman turned to Karin. "For now, the place is still vacate. But I leave the decision to Shiro-chan, he is the hair."

'Shiro-chan?' Karin almost smirked when the man glared on the nickname.

"Mother, don't call me that."

"Sure, sure." The woman answered, smiling. 'So it is his step mother.' Karin looked on the woman. "Now, I'm going sleep. Good night everyone." With that she came out, together with the girl.

Karin was alone in the room with Toshiro now. She was slightly nervous, but she tried to push it on the back of her mind. She is Kurosaki and Kurosaki never show fear. She steal one more glance in his direction. She admitted that he was very handsome…

He stopped reading the letter and looked up on her.

"So, the responsibilities of the maid are will know to you." He said, his eyes looking on her thoughtfully.

"Yes, sir." She said, remembering how maids in her home were referring to her father. Now she hopped that she had looked more closely their work.

"The worst is alighting the stoves." He added, looking down on the letter again. "Since the mansion is big and cold, we are doing this until late May. Could you handle it?"

"Of course." She answered, prying for this to the God or however was listening her.

"And you will also assist during the meals." He continued his explaining. "According to this references it's nothing new to you." What the hell aunt Yourichi wrote there? "But what is the most important, can you keep a secret?" he looked on her closely.

"I think that it won't be a problem." She answered, not looking down under his eyes.

"Good. You should forget everything what you will see or hear in this house." He added one more time.

"You can trust me, sir." She said without hesitation. It looked like he was waiting on this because he nodded.

"Good. So, welcome in your new job. You will hear everything from Momo, sister of my step mother. She is the most suitable for doing it." He added and moved the bell near the door. After not even two minutes, Momo walked into the room and Toshiro said to her few words and nodded his head, showing that the conversation was over.

'So this is Momo." Karin thought, looking closely on the girl. 'I'm sure that Yourichi would like to talk to her. After all, she loved to make people embarrassed.'

Momo took Karin to her room, which was settled on the attic. When Kurosaki girl was finally left alone she put off her wet clothes, hanging them on the timbers which were holding ceiling. Then with the sigh of relief she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes.

Cap! Cap!

She ignored it and tried to drift into the sleep land…

Cap! Cap!

Her brow furrowed but she still refused to stood up…

Cap! Cap!

She closed her hand on the cover, still trying to ignore it…

Cap! Cap! Cap!

'Bloody hell!' she screamed in her mind, not wanting to wake up anyone and stood up quickly. Still cursing on the rain she moved the basin to the corner of the room, where the drops of rain were dropping from the small hole on the ceiling. She laid down. The silence was disturbed by the sound of water dropping on the metal. Karin groaned loudly and put the covers over her head.

She had this impression that she slept only few minutes, when the knocked to the door woke her up. She stood up unwillingly and opened them, showing Momo, already dress up and looking refreshed. It made her only feel worse.

"It's already past four." The older girl said, looking on the Karin. "I woke you up today, but from tomorrow you will have to deal with it on your own. And Toshiro-sama doesn't like unpunctuality."

With that she walked out from the room, allowing sleepy girl to dress up in her new uniform, all black with white apron. Her only thought was: 'Fucking hell!'. She never was good in waking up early, usually she was lying in her bed until ten and sometimes even until eleven, when she had free time. And now waking up on four o'clock? She thought about packing things and coming back to home.

When she cleaned her face she felt slightly better, but not the best. She tried to do it quickly, aware very much that Momo was waiting for her outside.

When she was ready, they both started their journey around mansion. Momo was telling her everything needed.

"On the beginning you have to put the fire in the stove in the dining room, where the family will be eating breakfast. Then you can move to the bedrooms."

"How many of them is there?"

"Only three in use: Toshiro-sama, Rangiku-sama and Hiyori-san. In my bedroom I'm doing everything on my own, so please don't walk in there. Then you will move to the other rooms, missing two drawing-rooms, as we are not heating them until four p.m. The ball room is usually leave cold, except when we have guests."

Karin tried really hard to remember everything, but with her yet sleeping mind it was slightly hard. She had this feeling that few first days would be hard. But she was Kurosaki after all, she wouldn't chicken out.

When the moved through the corridor on the second floor Momo took couple of the keys from the pocket and handed them to the girl.

"Here, take this." She said "it's only part of this which I have, but you will be able to open the doors you need. In that way you won't need to looking after me every time when the are closed."

Karin nodded her head taking the keys and hiding them in her pocket.

"You can't let anyone to touch them. Anyone! You can't be sure who you can trust nowadays." Momo was looking at her closely with her shining eyes. After a while she added. "You can't went into two rooms in the house. One of the is behind you."

On this Karin automatically looked behind her, expecting that some monster would come out from behind closed door in every second. But the doors was just like the rest in the house, nothing different. Except the floor near this was less used.

"You shouldn't be interested in this room." Momo added, turning "You can't also open the door leading to Toshiro-sama's bedroom, anyway, you don't have key to them. And…" she stopped herself.

"Yes?" Karin asked almost impatiently.

"Oh, nothing. You are new here, so…"

"So I want to know everything to prevent me to make some gaffe."

Momo shook her head, as if she was fighting with herself if she was doing right thing. Her face, usually unreadable, become friendly.

"I know that it might sound weird." Momo said hesitantly "But you should be careful around ball room."

"Careful? Why?" Karin looked on her closely.

"Just watch out what you are saying and doing." Momo explained "Her eyes are watching your every step and you can't rely on her mercy." Karin felt shiver running down her back.

'Not everyone can rely on mercy…' she thought.

Bluebeard's castle…

She didn't know why she suddenly thought about this old story, told her once by Ichigo. She tried to remembered it.

Bluebeard forbid his eighth wife to come into one of the room in the castle. But she couldn't fight with the temptation, it was stronger than her. So she went inside. The consequences were terrible, but Karin didn't remember clearly what it was. She suspected that the wife saw her precursors lying in the paddle of blood.

Momo woke her up from her lalaland.

"Here are the bedrooms." She whispered to the girl "When the maid was absent, I was doing everything, but now it will be your job."

They went first into Rangiku's room, where Karin could feel the smell of perfume. She looked around the room. The furniture was light blue, with addition of gold in few places. Momo put a fire to the stove, showing Karin how to do it. She was very glad that she didn't have to do it alone.

Then they moved to the Toshiro's room. As the saw, the man had already woken up and ready to go outside. He was watching them from aside when both girls where doing their job. Karin was slightly uncomfortable under the gaze of his steal eyes. She didn't allow herself to look on him, in worry that she would be lost in this eyes. She mentally kicked herself. Since when she allowed herself to feel something like this? Baka.

Toshiro asked Momo to prepare his breakfast quickly, since he had to be gone early. Karin moved aside to let Momo be in the lead. That's when she saw the doors. They were heavy and looked solid. They were closed by few locks. She quickly drove her eyes away and went after Momo.

On the end they moved to the bedrooms of Hiyori. The girl was nowhere to be seen, but from the side of the room Karin could hear the whining and turning from one side to another. Together with Momo they tried to do their job quietly to not wake up the girl. When they were moving to the door they suddenly saw a piece of paper lying on the floor. They both bent down to pick it up, but Momo was first. She looked on the paper and her face was twisted in annoyance and disgust. She folded it and threw into the flames.

"Terrible brat." She said angrily and went out from the room, not waiting on Karin.

The girl were able anyway to saw the paper and the painting on it. It was made by kid's hand, the line were twisted slightly. But she could clearly see the naked forms of man and woman, in rather erotic pose. Karin blushed unwillingly, pretending to herself that his draw didn't move her in any way. Right… but why even she couldn't believe it?

She quickly move away from the room, walking after Momo. The went down to the kitchen, where the older girl helped her with the rest of her job. 'How the hell will I be able to do it on my own?' Karin thought, feeling slightly nervous.

How Karin found out later, Toshiro went away to the nearest city to prepare some family's business. She herself was trying to satisfy everyone. She decided that her pride would finished if someone started to complain about her work. She was recently cleaning the table after breakfast in the dining room when she met step sister of Toshiro.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, stopping next to her.

"I'm Cathrine Shisaki, the new maid here." Karin answered politely and bowed.

Hiyori was looking closely on her, tilting her head on one said. She was even smaller than Karin, who was already petite. 'I would give here maximum fifteen years, not eighteen or nineteen as aunt said.' The older girl thought, continuing her job. Hiyori had blond hair, which she was fixing in two high ponytails behind her ears. She also had brown eyes, narrowed now, and freckles on her nose and cheeks. From the look in her eyes Karin decided, that they both had similar characters… unfortunately.

"You are ugly." Hiyori said and Karin almost fell to the ground. "Well, maybe not ugly, but boring. Will you stay here for long?"

'What the hell is her problem?' Karin thought, stopping herself from slapping girl on the head.

"I hope so." She answered, trying to not sound too impatiently.

"Okay. But I still don't like you." Hiyori said and Karin almost answered 'It's mutual, brat' before stopping herself. "Have you seen my ball?"

"No." she was still fuming inside, screwing that she was maid now.

"That's means that I left her in the ball room. Go there and get it!" Hiyori demanded, looking on the girl sternly.

Karin looked on the girl thoughtfully. From what he had Heard from Momo before she didn't have slightest desire to walk there. But after all, Hiyori was the part of the family, so Karin should do what she was told. She cursed in her mind. Couldn't the girl be someone like Yuzu? No, she had to meet someone like Lurichiyo.

"Where it is?" she asked with resignation, leaving the cloth she used to clean on the table.

"This doors over there." Blond girl said, pointing on said door.

Karin looked on the door and moved there, trying not to show her fear. She suddenly felt really cold. 'For goodness sake, I don't even believe in ghosts!' she reminded herself in her mind, walking slowly to her destination. 'It's because Momo and her stupid stories. Get a grip, Kurosaki!' she thought when she stopped in front of the door. She was aware of Hiyori's eyes on her back and opened the door. She felt suddenly even more colder than before. What she saw first, was big painting on the wall in front of the door. She didn't know why but she couldn't turn her eyes away from it.

"It's Sakura Hitsugaya, the true lady of Suisen." She almost jumped surprised when she heard voice behind her. She hadn't heard when Hiyori went after her.

Karin was looking on the painting interested. The woman had long blond hairs and steal eyes, just like Toshiro's. She was wearing very elegant dress, perfect for the glory of 17th century. She had her hairs fixed high on her head, and was looking like she knew that she had the power and no one could defeat her. Her face was beauty, Karin decided, but the look in her eyes was disgusting.

"She killed Toshiro's sister-in-law." Hiyori said almost sadly. "Sakura didn't like her, so she pushed her form the stairs. But she likes me and my mom."

"But she have never done anything for the men in the family?" Karin asked, still looking on the painting.

"Quite the contrary. She didn't like Toshiro's father also, so she killed him too. Toshiro's mother met this same end, but I'm not sure, because I wasn't here at this time."

Karin still was watching the painting like enchanted.

"She is scary." She admitted without thinking. "But her power isn't beyond this ball room?"

"Of course it is! Are you dumb?" Hiyori snorted on her and she almost physically had to restrain herself from hitting the girl. "She is walking around the mansion when she wants. We are doing everything to isolate her, but the accidents are still happening."

Karin shivered, wanting to went away from this room as quickly as possible. She searched a ball with her eyes and when she spotted it she too kit and handed to Hiyori. Before closing the door she looked on the painting once more time. She had feeling that the woman was watching her. But that was always happening when the model was looking the painter in the eyes.

She decided to avoiding ball room as much as she could.

Later she was sent to the nearest buildings with some business. The rain just stopped, but the air was still gloomy.

Karin was walking through the highway when she decided to look on the Suisen in it's all glory. From outside it was simple, but huge, mansion, without any needless decoration. It looks like some big monstrous on the background of the forest. Near the mansion were standing few buildings, where administrator of the mansion and servants were living. In front of one of the building, the closest to the mansion, which Karin suspected belonged to the administrator, were standing two boys, playing with each other. Karin wasn't able to see them clearly, but both of them had slightly longish white hair so she decided that they were twins. When they saw her looking on them, they quickly hided something behind their back, moving closer to each other. Karin smirked. She only waved to the boys showing them that their secret, whatever it was, was safe with her. They answered this same, so eagerly that Karin was afraid that their arms would fall off. She waved one last time and moved on her way. When she looked around she saw that the boys were still waving to her and she laughed quietly.

When Karin was finally able to go to her room, she was exhausted. She had do really good, at least she thought so, because no one said anything wrong to her. She decided that she really like Rangiku, because of her cheerful expression and full of life attitude. What Karin had already saw, she really like to piss of Toshiro, especially by calling him Shiro-chan. Karin smiled on the memory when Rangiku started to putting food in Hiyori's mouth when she said that she won't eat the vegetables. The look on Hiyori's face was unforgettable.

But she still wasn't comfortable. The feeling that someone was coming all the time after her, watching her, hadn't leave her all day. She had almost turned around and screamed at the top of her voice to this coward ghost to show itself, but decided against this, especially when she saw that Toshiro was coming in the same way, heading to his room.

She borrowed the clock from Momo, to help her waking up next day. Without it, there was no way in her for her to do so. After few moments of laying on the bed she drifted away into sleep.

She was really proud of herself when next day she woke up at good hour. She quickly washed herself and started her job.

She knew that Rangiku, Hiyori and Momo were going today to the city to talk with the priest about something. She finished with the bedrooms of mother and daughter pretty fast. It wasn't really hard, after all. She didn't have idea where Toshiro was, since when she came into his room it was empty. She bent down to put a fire on the stove, humming something to herself. She didn't like silence very much. When she heard the doors behind her opening, she quickly turned around.

What she wasn't expecting, was the sight of the Toshiro, walking from the bathroom, wearing only trousers. She was startled a little by this and, thanks to her clumsiness, she lost her balance and sat rather painfully on her bum, screaming quietly surprised. The sudden sound startled also Toshiro, who looked on her with slightly widened eyes. Karin could feel the blush raising on her cheek, even if she tried to stop it.

"Cathrine." He said surprised and shook his head. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone here. Are you okay?" he asked, referring to her landing.

"H-hai!" she answered quickly, turning her eyes away. After all she was from good family and seeing the man without shirt (even if it was her ex-fiancé) wasn't something proper. "I just didn't know that someone was in the room, sir." She said, pulling herself together. "Gomenasai." She said standing up and bowing.

"That's okay, it's not your fault." Toshiro said and pulled quickly shirt in himself to not embarrass the girl further.

Karin nodded cursing her clumsiness and quickly finished her job, all the time feeling the man's eyes on her. It was rather uncomfortable and she was afraid that she would do something stupid. But Toshiro didn't say anything more to her and she quickly finished her job so she left after bowing to him and biding him good day.

Some times later she was walking again through the corridor, carrying fresh clothes to Hiyori's room and thinking about the scene which she had seen some hours ago. When she had looked through the window in the kitchen she saw Toshiro, walking in the park with, to her big surprise, the two boys which she had had seen earlier. She was slightly surprised, because it wasn't often when the hair of the family was playing with kids of the administrator. She was strangely moved by this sight.

She always thought from the letters that Toshiro was very kind person, and now it was confirmed. She was very glad.

She just went next to the door which Momo forbid her to open. She looked at them. She suddenly felt the urge to open them. She touched the keys in her pocket. She just would take a look… Then the story about Bluebeard came into her mind again and she shook her head. She had to stop with this stupid ideas of her, it was just stupid!

She moved away from the doors but when walked only few steps she stopped again. Wait… Toshiro's hairs are white… the kids hairs are white… She almost got a heart attack right where she was standing. What if the children weren't kids of administrator but they were his? No, he surely would had told her about this… but she never said that he had sister… But children are more important… 'Shit!'

"Get a grip, Kurosaki!" she said to herself, shaking her head.

"What?" she froze in her place when she heard voice behind her. She was sure that she was alone. She turned around slowly and looked straight into the eyes of one and only Toshiro Hitsugaya. 'Bloody hell.' She thought 'I screwed up…'.

"Hitsugaya- sama." She said, bowing to buy herself some time. She had to think about something…

"Did you say 'Kurosaki' a moment ago?" he asked her, furrowing his brows and looking closely on her.

"N-no, Hitsugaya-sama." She answered, gripping the cloths closer to her. "I-I said… Shisaki." She was grateful until death to her aunt for coming with slightly similar surname to her.

She was feeling more and more nervous when the teal eyes were watching her so closely. 'Please, let him believe in it… I will never kick my father again…' she pried to whoever was listening her.

"Oh, okay." Toshiro said after a while, still watching her carefully. "It looks like I just misheard things." He added and with one last glance he walked away.

Karin let a sigh of relief. She had to be more cautious. The next time she would be not that lucky. She could feel Toshiro's eyes on her for the rest of the day.


	3. Pink something and ball

Hey ^^

thanks everyone for reviews, love you guys :D

They are really helpful. I also wanteg to apologize for my grammar mistake, I will fix it :D

So, enjoy this chap and left me a word about it :D

######

Next two days went pretty quickly and easy. Karin was avoiding Toshiro like hell, not wanting to make another mistake. But it wasn't that simple, after all he was the owner of the mansion where she worked. But the luck was on her side after all, and she was meeting him only when the meals were served.

This day three of the women living in Suisen again leave to the city, this time to made some something, what seems to be favourite activity of Rangiku. Karin was happy, that meant that Momo wouldn't be watching her all day to find some mistake.

She was recently cleaning table in the dining room when she heard that someone slammed the main door open and then she heard calling.

"Oi, I need someone here!" it looked like Toshiro was in some sort of trouble, at least his voice sound like that.

Knowing that she was the only member of the servants present in the mansion, she moved quickly from the dining room to the hall. What she saw first, was the blood on Toshiro's jacket. Before she panicked, her eyes spotted the man who was sitting on the floor next to the heir. He was holding his arm tightly, face twisted in pain. When she came into the hall, Toshiro moved his eyes on her.

"Cathrine, please go to my office and bring the first aid kit." He said, kneeling next to the bloody man.

She nodded her head without any word. After all, she was daughter of the doctor, and she knew that in the situation when person was bleeding badly, the speed was the most important matter. She quickly moved upstairs. She had been in his office only once before, when Rangiku asked her to bring some book from there, so she didn't lost time to looking for it. The first aid kit was standing on the shelf next to the desk. Karin grab it quickly and moved downstairs quickly, missing two stairs at once. Meanwhile, Toshiro already took of worker's shirt and was checking the wound. She handed him the aid kit quickly.

"Bring some hot water from the kitchen, please." He said, turning his attention to worker again.

"Hai!" Karin run to the kitchen and back after few moments. She was glad that she had pretty good speed.

"Thank you." Toshiro said when she left the basin with water next to him. "Are you sensitive when you see blood?" he asked, looking up on her.

"No, I'm fine." She answered and he watched her closely. "Really, my father is a doctor so I get used to it pretty soon." She looked down on the worker, who was still gripping his arm, missing the furrowed brows of Toshiro.

"Good, so you can help me." He said, turning away from her. He cleaned the skin around the wound with water and then continued. "Hold the sides of two wound closer, so I can bandage it."

Karin did as she was told, gripping strongly the man's arm. She didn't know why, but every time when Toshiro brushed his hands at hers, she felt some strange feelings in the stomach. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not. It was rather pleasant experience, but she was little scared of it. As a daughter of scientist, she liked to have answers on everything, and that feeling was mysterious for her. And she hated mysterious. But it seemed that most of her life had been a mystery. It sucked. The absurd thought popped into her mind. If she was more beautiful, would he looked on her like man on the woman? She almost slapped herself. She really was an idiot to thinking about something like that in the situation they were.

"Good, thank you Cathrine." He heard Toshiro's voice and looked up. The wound was already bandaged and she pulled her hands away. "I will take him now to the doctor, if someone will be looking for me, say him to come back later."

With that he came out together with the worker. After a moment Karin could hear the sound of running horses.

She sighed and cursed herself. 'Well, it's true that curiosity killed the cat.' She thought. Now it would be way much harder to her to forgot about Toshiro Hitsugaya. She finally did what she wanted for some time: she slapped her forehead with her hand. And went to clean the blood mark which it left.

Karin had been told already at the beginning of her service that she should forget about everything what she would see and hear. Be blind and deaf. Well, she didn't have much trouble with that. But everytime when she went into Toshiro's room she felt this strange urge to open the door which she had seen on the first day, the one with few locks. But she was too afraid that she could be caught if she tried to open it.

But now she knew that no one was at home. Rangiku, Hiyori and Momo were out in the city, Toshiro at the doctor with worker. When she went onto his room to clean it, her eyes like always went into the direction of the door. It was like some magnet. She went closer to it and tried to open it by pulling the handle, but, like she has expected, it was closed. She put an ear to it. Nothing was heard, only breeze of fresh air was felt. 'And what did you expected, bloody idiot?' she said to herself 'That you will hear some whiling of the ghost? Get a grip.' She looked one last time on the locks. Ichigo had learned her few years back how to open closed locks (she still didn't know from where HE get this knowledge, but she suspected that it was somehow connected with Urahara), but she didn't want to disturb Toshiro's privacy more that she already was. She already sneaked into his house.

She moved away from the doors and starter to make her work in the room. She was thinking while doing it. She wondered if it would different if she was like her sisters, easy-going and beautiful. But then again, Toshiro had never seen her before, so this knowledge wasn't important. But if she was more graceful she would easily found herself some other man without problem. But she still knew that she wouldn't be happy completely. She didn't know why, but now, when she met her not to be husband, she felt that she didn't want to marry anyone else. 'Like I have any other choice.' She thought bitterly, making the bed. For now, the only option left was a nunnery. Maybe the sisters there would be tolerate and allow her stay even if sometimes one fool word escape her? Or when her temper would be on lose? No chance.

Karin sighed again. She was here for an almost week now, but still she hadn't found out why Toshiro broke up with her. Maybe it really was because of the ghost? But he didn't seem like the man who believed in that kind of things. She ruffled her hair impatiently. It was complicated. She suddenly felt homesick. She wanted Ichigo, and the security she felt with her brother. 'Yeah, he would have great fit of laugh if he ever find about what I am thinking.' She grimaced on the thought. None of the two siblings were emotional.

She shook herself from her thoughts and moved to the other rooms. She had work to do and grooming over her life wouldn't help her with this.

Later on the evening the family was drinking tea next to fireplace. Karin was serving them, like usually. She couldn't stop herself from looking from time to time in Toshiro. Since he came from the doctor, she caught him on looking on her thoughtfully. He couldn't found out, could he? She hoped so. She should have already pretty big bruise on her forehead from all mental slaps she gave herself. She felt it again. The sudden feeling of needing to be in his arms and to be able to touch his cheek, hold his hand. She was glad that at the moment no one was looking at her, because she was certainly blushing. Toshiro and Rangiku were arguing, like many times before, about the nicknames which older woman was giving to him. Karin thought that it was pretty funny. Rangiku's relationship with Toshiro was more like brother-sister than like mother-son. Momo was sitting in the armchair, reading some book. Hiyori took a place near Toshiro's feet, listening to his conversation with Rangiku. Karin was really stunned (and jealous, but she didn't admit that even to herself) when Hiyori suddenly sat on his laps.

Momo looked on her with annoyance and anger, while Rangiku said gently.

"Hiyori, you are too old on this, please took your normal sit." She mildly glared on the girl, who ignored it.

"You are older than me." She answered and Karin thought, once again, how they could deal with that brat. She almost could see a vein on Rangiku's forehead.

"But I'm not sitting on Toshiro's lap, am I?" she asked through the gritted teeth.

"No, because if you did, you could broke them." Hiyori answered calmly, not even looking at her mother.

"Hiyori!" Momo said loudly, but she was completely ignored.

"And Toshiro-kun likes when I am sitting on his laps, right?" the blond girl looked on the man with smile.

"If I wanted somebody to sit on me I would be born as the couch." Toshiro stated emotionlessly, glaring down on the girl. Rangiku sniggered on this loudly, while Karin head problems to restrain herself from laughing. "And now, would you please stand up? My legs are hurting now."

Hiyori stood up, offended and pouting.

"And don't talk like that to your mother again, understand? You should respect her instead of wasting your time on being a brat." He said again, looking firmly on younger girl.

'Check mate.' Karin couldn't stop herself from saying, watching the scene.

"I hate you all!" Hiyori shouted and stomped out from the room. In her way she made sure to bump into Karin, almost causing her to drop the tea cup the girl just finished filing. But fortunately Karin had good reflex after years on playing ball with her brother and caught it before something happened. Hiyori, even more angry that she couldn't humiliate her, run upstairs.

"Geez, this kid is giving me headache." Rangiku said, massaging her head. "I don't understand what happened to her. She was once so…" she stopped and thought for a second." No, sorry she always was like that."

"She is just like you." Toshiro said to her, standing up and moving to the shelf for some book.

"Shiro-kun, don't be so mean!" Rangiku pouted on him playfully. "Oh, thank you Cathrine." She smiled on the girl, when she handed her tea cup.

"I told you so many times, don't call me that." He sighed sitting back with the book, also thanking for Karin for tea.

Karin was making her leave after serving everything when she was stopped by Momo's voice calling her. She turned around to face the older girl.

"Yes?" she asked politely, bowing.

"I just wanted to say that I show that sometimes when you are serving at the table, you are little… distracted." She said, smiling sweetly. Karin wanted to gag. "Just like now: you shouldn't fill the cup, because it's Rangiku-sama's responsibility. And when you are setting the table, few things are also incorrect."

'Oh shit, I'm dead.' Karin thought, thinking quickly about some excuse.

Momo was looking on her with strange look in the eyes. Toshiro looked slightly interested in this and also was watching her with curiosity. Rangiku just shrugged her shoulder.

"I don't see a problem." She said, smiling brightly to the girl. "At least less work to me."

Karin almost smiled on this. She definitely liked this woman.

"But I'm just curious." Momo continued, glaring mildly on the back of her sister's head. "You had very good preferences." She looked on the girl, waiting.

Karin thought for a second.

"I beg your pardon." She said , bowing her head slightly. "My previous employer was little eccentric person. She ignored the canons in the sociality, behaving only how she wanted at the moment. I think that some of her habits rub onto me. I'm really sorry. I will try my best to change it." She bowed her head once again. 'Sorry aunt Yourichi.' She thought. But she had the feeling that her aunt would be delighted because of this description.

"Hai, hai, no problem." Rangiku said cheerfully before Momo opened her free. "Feel free to took more of my duties, I don't mind." She smiled brightly on Karin, winking on her. Now Karin couldn't hide her smile.

She bowed once again and turned to the doors. She missed the look on Toshiro face and the slight smirk on his face.

Toshiro was sure that his suspicions were correct. He knew from the day when he had heard her talking to herself. He was sure that he hadn't misheard it, like she had implied. He didn't even know if he should be angry on her or not. After all, she had her reasons. But now he had to find out why the hell Karin Kurosaki decided to play a maid in his household.

###

When Karin came back to her room she wrote letter to her aunt, telling her about everything what she experienced. She also asked if there were some calls from home. Then she changed and went to sleep.

Next day, when she sent her letter, she moved to clear the rooms. Like always, the first was Toshiro's bedroom. She had just started, when the voice from the doors startled her.

"Geez, you are so slow." Hiyori was standing there, leaning on the wall. "Like pregnant elephant."

Karin wanted to ask how the girl knew how pregnant elephant was moving, but stopped herself.

"I'm finishing." She said, breathing deeply.

"I'm sure that you are so slow because of this doors." Hiyori said, walking onto the room.

"What doors?" Karin looked on the girl curious, but tried to hide it.

"Don't play dumb." Hiyori snapped, pointing on the doors. "This one which are locked better than treasury. Do you want to know what is there?" she asked quietly.

"It's not my business what is going on in home of my employers." Karin stated, even when the curiosity was killing her.

Hiyori moved closer to her, their noses almost touching, since both of them were petite.

"They are leading to the basement." She whispered, narrowing her eyes.

Karin shivered slightly. She wasn't some scared cat, but this girl had something strange in her. Hiyori was long straight in her eyes. What the hell this brat wanted from her? Scared her? No bloody way that she would show it. She looked in the younger girl's eyes emotionlessly.

'It's a secret corridor." Hiyori continued, still whispering. "Toshiro is locking this door because he doesn't want to anyone coming out."

"Who is locked there?" Karin asked, gulping slightly.

"A monster." Hiyori whispered, moving even closer. "The ghost of the woman who died few hundred years ago. "

"Who said this to you?"

"Everyone, even Toshiro." Hiyori answered. "But you know what happened last time when she leave the corridor?"

Karin shook her head like possessed. Hiyori moved closer and Karin had to bent her back to move away from girl. That was creepy.

"She killed!" Hiyori jumped a little at the end of the sentence.

Karin, startled, backed more but forgot that there was the basket on the coal. She tripped, landing painfully on her butt, again. The feather-duster, which she was holding, shoot up from her hand, landing on top of… Toshiro's head, who just came into the room, making pink decoration in his white hairs. There was a pregnant silence between the three. Karin was speechless, Hiyori fought with her laughter and Toshiro had closed eyes. Then he sighed and took the duster from his head.

"Hiyori, did you abuse Cathrine?" he asked, resigned. He just came back for a document which he left there and was met with a pink… something making itself comfortable on his head. Well, he should be glad that it wasn't something wet.

"Of course not!"

"Good, go to your room." He said, pointing on the door with this pink thing. Who the hell bought the pink things in this house? Ok, that was stupid question since Rangiku was almost all the time wearing pink.

"But…"

"I won't repeat myself." He said, looking on girl. She pouted but did like she was told.

"I think that it's yours." He said, handing Karin the duster. He remembered how it was called. The girl had collected herself from the floor already.

"Gomenasai!" she said, bowing deeply before taking duster from him.

"Don't, it wasn't your fault." He run a hand through his hairs checking if nothing pink was left there. "Just finish cleaning."

"Hai." Karin nodded and came back to cleaning the dust from shelves.

Toshiro was watching her discretely. He could see the troubled look on her face, and he knew that she was giving herself reprimand. He almost laughed aloud when she, half-aware, smacked herself on the forehead and then massaged the place since she did it too hard. He stayed longer than he was supposed and leaved when Karin finished her cleaning.

Few hours later Karin was sent to administrator, to gave him some documents. Jushiro Ukitake, since that was the man name, was really kind and friendly to her. He also had white hairs, what surprised her a little. She was smiling when she exited his hat.

She was going through the path to the mansion, when she suddenly heard the scream.

"Look out!" she turned around quickly, just in time to see the ball flying straight in her direction. She caught it without big problem. 'Thanks God for Ichi-nii and his games.' She thought.

"Woah! That was good!" she looked up and spotted two boys which she had seen before, running to her.

"Can you play?" the second of the boy said, looking on her with big eyes.

They were twins. And were looking this same, not like she and Yuzu, who were totally opposites. They looked like pretty hyper kids.

"What you are supposed to do now?" Karin heard Jushiro's voice coming from the door of the hat, where he was standing and watching two boys.

They looked on each other and then on Karin like asking her what was the answer. She covered her mouth and said quietly, aware that the older man knew anyway what she was doing.

"You have to apologize." She whispered loudly and boys quickly caught up.

On once, they both fell to their knees and bowing deeply, started chanting.

"Gomenasai! Gomenasai!" Karin couldn't stop herself and laughed, while Jushiro was shaking his head on his sons antics.

"I think that I can accept your apologizing." She said playfully and two boys shot up from the ground.

"So, can you play?" they both looked on her again, exited.

"Boys, I don't think-"

"No, that's all right, Ukitake-san." Karin said, smiling to the older man, and bended to be on the both boys eyes' level. "Yea, I used to play with my big brother when I was at home."

"Really?" they looked on her and she nodded.

"Play with us!" one of them shouted, looking on her pleadingly.

"Please, please, pretty please." The second also looked on her with big eyes, and there was no way in hell that she would refuse them.

"All right, but first tell me you names."

"My name is Sogyo…" the one started

"And mine is Kotowari." The second finished, both smiling on her widely. She answered this same.

"And I am Kar-…" she stopped herself. "Cathrine." She finished and shook both boys hands. Then she stood up. "So, ready to play?"

Both boys screamed with delight, and their father came back to hat, smiling. At least, he didn't have to worry about this two getting into trouble.

The play was simple: they just were passing the ball to each other, and who wouldn't caught it, lost. Karin enjoyed her time playing with them. They were really funny boys. Then one of them, she supposed it was Sogyo, but wasn't sure, kicked the ball hard, and she wasn't able to caught it. It flew past her. She turned around to run after it only to bump into something or rather someone. she fell down… again. She groaned and looked up.

And wanted to disappear. From the face of the Earth.

"Hitsugaya-sama." She said, bowing her head, still sitting.

There of course, was standing Toshiro, holding the ball, and looking on her with raised brow. She wanted to safe some dignity and stood up gracefully, but it would be too beautiful. When she managed to almost stood upright, she suddenly felt the sudden weight on her back, who was giggling and which took away her balance again. She landed on the ground again. This time Toshiro couldn't stop himself and chuckled on the view. Karin didn't know what to do.

"Shiro-sama!" one of the boy screamed in her ear, letting go of her, while the second made himself more comfortable on her back.

What surprised her the most happened next. The boy run quickly to Toshiro and without slowing threw himself on him. The heir was used to this greeting and caught the boy with ease. But the ball which he had dropped on the ground to free his hands, rolled under his leg. When he took step back to stabilize himself, he tripped and fell down on the ground also, earning more giggles from boys and amused smile from Karin.

"What is… Hitsugaya-sama!" Jushiro went out from his hat to check on them and stood dead in his truck. Well. seeing the heir of the noble house sitting on his butt on the ground with ball under his knee and one of his son sitting on his stomach wasn't normal thing, adding the fact that the maid was also sitting on the ground in slightly uncomfortable position with his second son on her back… wasn't common sight. "BOYS, what did you do?"

Sogyo and Kotowari stopped giggling and looked on their father slightly scared.

"Don't worry, Jushiro." Toshiro said, standing up from the ground with ease and holding the boy still in his arms. "Everything is all right, this boys are just full of live. And none damage was done, right, Cathrine?" he looked on the girl, who had stood up already, with the second boy still on her back.

"Of course, sir, everything is the best." She smile to the father of the twin in the same time when Kotowari on her back jumped demanding the piggy-back ride. Karin just sweatdropped.

Yes, this day was full of surprises…


	4. Night talk and troubles

_A/N: Thank you for all the reviews :D you are great :D_

_And I know that Hiyori and Momo are different in that story, but i had to change their characters, just like the others, sorry :D _

_But anyway, this is the new chapter, enjoy the reading :D_

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Karin was tired like hell. She really could feel every bone in her body. She played with boys for some time, with agreement from Toshiro of course. She smiled at the memory. The heir himself had stayed and played with them for about half an hour, and Karin thought that it had been one of the best experience she ever had. But it had ended pretty fast, when Momo had come and told Toshiro that he had important letter from someone in the city. She sighed.

She was cleaning herself and getting ready to the bad when she heard knocking to her door. She quickly put on gown which she had brought with her from home and opened them, but saw nothing, just clear air. She looked around, but the corridor was empty. For a second she thought that she saw something white, but decided that it was her imaginary, because after second glance, it disappeared. Then she looked down and saw some paper in the ground. She bent and picked it up then went inside again, since the air in the corridor was chilly.

She looked on the paper and blushed. The draw on it reminded her of the paper which she had found together with Momo on her first day in the household. It also show man and woman, but this time with less anatomical precision. The person who made it had written "T" over the man and "me" over the woman. She grimaced. Someone really had great imagination in this castle. She turned the paper on the other side and was surprised when she found a note there. "Cathrine, he is mine. Leave him alone, you bitch, or I will kill you. Sakura Hitsugaia." She read and shivered. Why the hell someone decided to write it? And why this person suspected the heir to had some relationship with simple maid? She was sure that the note was wrote by one of the member of the family. First, because ghost couldn't write (at least she thought so) and second, if it really was Sakura Hitsugaya, she wouldn't wrote her own name with mistake. She ripped the paper on small pieces and hide it in her pocket, making mental note to threw it away later. She wouldn't be scared of something like that. But… who would wrote it? It looked like it was made by child's hand, so she automatically thought about Hiyori, but, even if the girl was pain in the ass, she couldn't suspect her about this. Not sure why, but she just had this feeling that someone else was culprit. But who? That was the question which Karin wanted to answer.

But now she was tired. She yawned deeply and laid down on her bed. The mystery would wait until tomorrow.

She spent two more days in peace and quiet, making her normal work. Sometimes she even went out to play with twins when she had a moment and her employer joined them sometimes, like he had done previously. But she was little anxious. She wasn't stupid, far from it, and she had caught few times Toshiro's thoughtful look on her. She wondered what it was about. Maybe she did something wrong? But no, she was sure, because she was checking herself all the time.

On the one night, when she was very tired after playing with twins and her normal chores, she went to the bed very fast. But she didn't get much sleep. Around the one in the night, she was woken up by sound of shattering glass, coming from second floor. She sat up on her bed and blinked few times, getting rid of her sleepiness. When her mind finally registered what happened, she shoot up from her bed, and putting gown on herself, she run down. When she was on the second floor, she saw that Toshiro was already there, together with Rangiku, Momo and Hiyori. One of the windows which had been suited in the corridor, was now lying in pieces on the floor. But what surprised her the most were the letters written on the wall, not very high, indicating that the person who wrote them was pretty small. Karin read quietly 'Leave now or you will be dead.' She raised her brow. Someone wasn't very creative.

"Yare, yare, that is unusual." Rangiku was saying when she came closer. "Who could do it?"

"I don't know." Toshiro answered her, bending down to look on the glass on the ground. "But it was broken from the inside."

"Sumimasei… What happened?" Karin asked coming closer to them.

"Oh, Cathrine. You were woken up also? Not surprise here after all, the sound was pretty loud." Rangiku said, turning around to look at her.

"Someone broke the window, how you can see." Hiyori answered her, ironically.

"Now when you are here, could you please clean up the glass?" Momo asked her, not even turning to look at her. "Someone can get hurt."

"Hai." Karin answered and went down to the kitchen to took the broom from there.

When she came back she was surprised to find only Toshiro there. He was watching the letters on the wall thoughtfully and little worried. When she came closer he turned his attention to her.

"I sent everyone to their bedrooms. There is no reason to keep them up that late in the night." He said and Karin nodded, starting cleaning. The faster she finished it, the faster she would come back to her bed.

"You know that this words are directed to you, right... Kurosaki-san?"

Karin stiffened, how it was to be expected, cutting herself with the piece of glass which she was just picking. How the hell did he find out? She was in big trouble now… Aunt Yourichi would kill her, certainly. She palled.

Toshiro was watching her face change from surprised to panicked one. That was all prove he needed. When he saw the blood on her hand he sighed. He didn't want her to be hurt because of him.

"So I was right." He said. "Leave it and come with me. We have to talk."

He passed her, and she followed. What else could she do? She smacked herself mentally. And kicked for better effect. She should had been more cautious. Well, at first place she shouldn't be here, but it was different story. She thought if he had found out when he had caught her on talking to herself. Why she couldn't had kept her mouth closed? That was big mystery for her. She looked up on his back. She didn't know if he was angry or not, but she couldn't denied that his back was very… attractive. She smacked herself again. Why she was thinking about his back at the moment like this? She was crazy, now she was sure of this.

Toshiro stopped in front of his office and opened the door, allowing Karin to went inside first. Then he closed the door and went to his desk to sat on the chair behind it. Karin took place opposite him.

"So, your true name is Karin Kurosaki, right?" he asked to confirm this matter. Well, he was sure of it but asked anyway.

"Hai, that's my true identity." She answered, little bitterly. Toshiro looked on her. She shouldn't had expected that he wouldn't find out in some day. "I'm sorry that I hide it, but I had to do it." She furrowed her brow "I know that it was stupid…" at least she admitted it "but that was my only choice."

"Explain me why. I'm just curious why my fiancée decided to play maid in my house." He asked, looking on her intently. He caught himself to late how he had called her.

Karin sighed and sat more comfortably. She would made a lot of explanation that night.

"Ex-fiancée." She corrected him. "But to the matter now. Well, it wasn't even entirely about myself, but mostly about my sisters. You see, in my family is that stupid rule, which says that all of us have to get marry in the order in which we were born. My older brother is already married, so now it's my turn. We were all supposed to get married at the age of sixteen, but... well, you know how it was. So, Yuzu and Lurichiyo was waiting for me to do it, the older one for four year, second for three. I felt little guilty that I stopped them, especially when they are very eager to get married. And then I got your letter. And I have to admit that I just chickened out. I couldn't bring myself to tell them and, in the effect, crush their hopes."

"Wait, so you are saying that _they_ can do anything with their life until _you_ will get married?" Toshiro looked on her little shocked.

"Exactly."

"That's stupid."

"What are you saying?" Karin asked ironically. "But anyway the thought just came into my mind and I arrived here with the help of my aunt to find out the reason behind your decision. I just… was curious."

"You know that curiosity killed the cat?" Toshiro raised his brow on her.

"Yes, and satisfaction brought it back." She retorted quickly. Toshiro thought that he would get used to conversation with her.

"But anyway, can't you find any other way to fix this problem?" he asked seriously. He had put her in much trouble with his decision, he could say.

"No, after I got your letter I thought about joining the nunnery, but dropped it. Like my brother once said, I would razed it into the ground very quickly." She answered and he smirked.

"And what about… other man?" he looked on her curiously. In the short amount of the time they spent together, mainly with Ukitake twins, he really liked her. And the thought of her marrying someone else… was little hard. He shook it off. It wasn't about his feelings now, but about her future. Without him…

Karin had sad smirk on her lips.

"No, I don't have anyone. Like I would." She added and continued quickly. "The only way now for me is to married some old widower, who will agree on the wedding because of my father's fortune." She furrowed her brows again, looking on her hands which she rested on her laps. "And I think that I will do it after I came back to home."

"You can't do it." She looked surprised on Toshiro, who looked also surprised on his own words.

"And why is that?" she asked and was surprised to find him blushing slightly.

"I mean… that you didn't deserve this." He answered. "There has to be someone." he looked on her hopefully.

'Is this guy deaf or something?' Karin asked herself.

"No, for me it always has been the guy who my parents choose. That's why I came here. Not to begging you to change it or anything, at least I have some pride, but to know the reason which I could tell my family. And then to find out some solution of this situation." She said and after a thought she added, almost unwillingly. "And I also was little ashamed…"

Toshiro run his hand through his hair. It was complicated, especially now. There had to be something what they could do. But what? He looked up on the girl, who was now looking through the window thinking about something. Surely about her problems. Which were caused by him. Toshiro decided that his life sucked.

"I have to tell you that it took much from me to wrote this letter." He said and she turned her attention to him. "I was hoping all this time when I was changing dates of our wedding that something would change, but after few years I knew that it wouldn't." he laughed bitterly. "It hurt me too, to be truthful. I wrote this to make sure that you will be safe, away from my home. I thought that you will do something with your life when the contract will be over." He sighed.

"What make you think that I can be in dangerous here?"

"I'm sorry, I can't say. But you, mainly you, will be endangered if someone find out about your true name." he said.

Karin looked on him closely.

"Please tell me that you don't believe in this curse." she said.

"You don't?" he looked on her grey eyes.

"No, I don't." she answered truthfully.

Toshiro was little surprised, other girls would be sitting in the corner, trembling from the fear on even one word about ghost.

"Why?"

"Because I've never believed in ghosts. It just some stupid stories which elders uses to scared children." She shrugged her shoulders.

Toshiro sighed.

"To answer your question, no I don't believe in this curse thing. But what I know is that someone is killing the wives of the heirs and I don't want anything to happen to you."

'He was worried about my safety, even when he didn't know me.' Karin thought, surprised.

"Anyway, who told you about it?" he asked, earning her attention again.

"Hiyori, when she lost her ball and later when I was cleaning in your room." She answered and after some thought added. "And from my aunt, who heard about it from villagers."

"This brat…" Toshiro muttered referring to Hiyori. "Wait, so you came here already knowing about this?"

"Yes, I told you, I don't believe on ghosts."

"You are crazy." He stated simply, looking on her. She only shrugged and smirked.

"Nothing I haven't heard before."

He also smiled and after a thought said.

"I have to admit that I imagined you differently."

Smirk vanished from her face and she sighed tiredly.

"Yeah, I know. My sister are famous because of their beauty, you have to heard it. That's why people are sometimes surprised when they saw me." She answered, shrugging again.

Toshiro looked on her closely. She really thought that she was ugly? Well, his opinion was different, but he hold it to himself. He snapped from his thoughts when he saw that she tried to hide her yawn.

"Come back to your room, you should be sleeping." He said, standing up.

"But I have to clean…" she started, also standing.

"Don't worry about it." He said, pointing to the door "Now go."

"Admit that you just want to get rid of me because you are tired." She said with smirk, looking on him. He answered this same.

"Maybe, maybe not. But I'm not the one who have to wake up at four." She sighed defeated and went to the door.

"And Karin?" he called and she turned around before opening the doors. "I'm not disappointed."

She looked confused for a moment until she caught what he had on his mind. She was very surprised.

"Really? I-I mean… thank you." She blushed slightly, with hand on the knob.

"And you?" he asked, smiling on her blush.

"Maybe, maybe not." She quoted him with smirk and before he could answer she closed the door.

Toshiro shook his head. But smiled. Kurosaki Karin was one interesting girl.

Karin laid down on her bed with smile. Well, at least he wasn't angry. She had thought that he would kicked her out from the mansion. Then she smacked herself. She forgot to asked him how he had found out the truth. She sighed. Well, maybe she would ask him about it later. She yawned again and almost a second after she was asleep.

The next day started normally. Karin woke up, cleaned herself, cleaned the rooms and then went down to the kitchen to help cooker. She was thinking about what had happened last night, especially about her conversation with Toshiro. She had expected it to be worse, but in the end it hadn't been that bad. At least he wasn't angry, what Karin took with big relief. During the breakfast she sneaked few glances on Toshiro but he, like she had expected, was behaving like always, what she was also doing. She knew that nobody should know about her identity. It would only cause trouble to her and Hitsugaya.

The weather that day was getting worse from hour to hour. The wind was blowing very hard and when Karin went out from the house for few minutes, she had trouble with walking normally. And by the look on the sky, it would only get yet worse. When she came back to the home, she heard voices from the living room.

"But, Hiyori-chan, what is that strange about me talking with Toshiro?" Rangiku was asking her daughter, exaggeration present in her voice. "Last time I checked it wasn't forbidden or something."

"But you are whispering all the time!" Hiyori loosed her temper, Karin could tell. But what caused it this time? "You don't care about me anymore!"

"Hiyori, it's not true and you know about it." For the first time since Karin had arrived to the mansion she heard Rangiku talking to someone with strict tone in her voice. She didn't know that she was able to do something like this. "And I tell you this last one time: let Toshiro do his own things without sticking your nose into it. He can choose his friends on his own. He love you as his sister, but I'm surprised that he still has patience to deal with your accusation regarding him."

"I know, he told me!" Hiyori screamed louder "But _you _are spending too much time with him. You, mother, are following him all the time!"

"What are you talking about, Hiyori-chan?" Rangiku asked surprised with slight anger in her voice.

But her daughter didn't answer her, instead she run off from the room. Karin could see Rangiku sitting tiredly on one of the armchairs. She backed to the kitchen. If she was the one who had argument with member of the family, she wouldn't like to have stranger maid as a consoler.

Karin thought about people living in the mansion while doing her choruses. She liked most of them, even Hiyori in some point, the girl just seemed to be little lonely in this home. But she still couldn't trust Momo, even if she didn't know why. Something about her just didn't let Karin rest in peace. Maybe the way she was smiling this sweet smile all the times, or her innocent voice. She didn't know. But she would always try to find out. 'If Toshiro won't put me in first train to home.' She thought, starting to prepare things for dinner.

The atmosphere in the dining room was hard to deal with. Rangiku and Hiyori were sitting quietly, not looking at each other. Momo had her eyes cast down on her plate. Toshiro was eating calmly, not really caring about what was going on. When Karin was cleaning the plates to replaced it with the new one he slipped a piece of paper into the pocket of her apron when no one was watching. Karin hold her face unemotional, but inside her curiosity was killing her. She couldn't took it out when the family was present, so she had to wait patiently. It was hard to someone wait patiently when her middle name was 'impatient'.

Finally when everyone finished eating she could leave. When she was in the corridor she put the paper and read the note written on it '_Wait on me at the stairs behind kitchen at eleven.' _Eleven? She should be in bed at that time or next day she would be dead for everybody. But she also knew that the women who lived in the mansion wouldn't be asleep until ten. So they had to wait until they would be in their bedroom. Karin run her hand through her hairs. This whole situation was crazy.

But the night didn't went as they expected.

The family was sitting in the drawing room, drinking tea like always, while Karin was standing aside in the case if help was needed. The storm behind the windows were getting worse all the time. The wind was hitting the walls of the mansion hardly, giving the people inside bad feelings. The moon were hiding behind dark clouds, its light rarely visible through the windows. The wind was so strong that the trees were almost pulled from the ground by its strength.

"During the last storm roofs in huts were thrown off." Toshiro said, looking through the window.

"I remember." Rangiku said, drinking her tea. "It was terrible. All I want to do was hide under the bed and not coming out until the storm ended."

"You want to do this every time when storm is coming." Toshiro reminded her calmly.

"Well, that's true." Rangiku laughed quietly.

Their conversation were interrupted by the loud knock to the doors. Everyone turned their eyes to Karin, who went to open them. She felt slightly better with the knowledge that the drawing room was pretty close. When she turned the knob the strength of the wind almost tore up her arm. Lamps in the hall went down, but Karin were able to recognize the figure of administrator.

"Can I speak with Hitsugaya-sama?" he shouted over the wind and rain.

"Sure, come in." Toshiro shouted, making Karin jump slightly. She wasn't even aware that he was standing behind her. "But close the door behind you. Cathrine, can you light the lamps?"

Ukitake together with Toshiro made their way to the drawing room, while Karin started to put the fire on lamps again. She could hear few parts of the conversation.

"Everyone are terrified…" Ukitake was saying. Karin felt really worried about his sons. "We had to put the ropes over the roofs… Espada gang…"

She remembered hearing others talking about Espada gang. When they were talking about it their voices showed worry. Espada were group of the people, men to be exact, who were like some kind of fallen heroes. They were plundering reach houses, sometimes even murdering people when there was need. Few of them had been caught and put into the jail, but the worst ones were still free.

"I will go with you." Toshiro told Ukitake and they both made their way again through the hall. When they opened the door, all lamps which Karin lightened, went dead again. She was left in complete darkness. 'Just my luck.' She thought and tried to found some candle on the little table in the hall, but not seeing anything she knocked it down.

"What's going on?" she heard Rangiku's voice who came out from the drawing room after hearing the noise. "You ok, Cathrine? Please, go upstairs and bring this paraffin lamps. I will look for some paraffin in the kitchen."

Karin nodded and quickly run upstairs, she was glad that the moon came out from behind the clouds for a moment, at least she could see something. She took the lamps which were suited upstairs and came down again.

Then few things happened.

She was walking down again when the moon hide itself. When she was in the middle of the stairs, she suddenly felt the cold fingers closing themselves on her ankle. Her heart almost stopped and she looked around terrified. The doors to the ball room were widely open and the slight light from it were giving strange, mysterious and terrifying aura. Also the cold air coming from the room was terrible. It was all Karin was able to see before she was pulled down the stairs pretty hard by the hand which grabbed. She screamed loudly and dropped the lamps which she was carrying.

Rangiku came quickly when she heard scream echoing through the corridors. When she saw Karin lying on the floor she run to her.

"Cathrine, are you all right?" she asked, kneeling next to the girl. "What happened to you?"

"I'm fine, Rangiku-sama." Karin replied, sitting up. She was glad that she hadn't broken anything in her body during the fall. "I just… something grab my leg and pulled me down."

"What? But how? And who?"

"I don't know, it was dark in the hall, I didn't see anything, only the doors of ball room were open."

"The ball room?" Rangiku turned around to see that the door was surely lightly opened. She shivered and furrowed her brows.

"Please, Rangiku, don't tell me that you believe in it." They heard gentle, how ironically to the situation, voice of Momo behind them. Both women turned around to look at her. "I'm sure that it was just your imagination, Cathrine, no one is even here."

Karin looked around. Just like Momo said, the three of them were the only living souls in the hall. But she knew what had happened to her.

"No, with all respect, I'm sure that there was someone." she said stubbornly, looking straight in Momo's eyes. She knew that the maid shouldn't behave like this, but at the moment she didn't give any crap about it.

"She has no reason to tell the lie, Momo-chan." Rangiku said and stood up together with Karin. Then she went closer to the ball room and closed the door without hesitation. "If you are all right, Cathrine, we should come back to what we were doing."

Karin nodded silently, taking the lamps from the floor. In that exact moment Toshiro together with administrator came inside to the house. He looked from worried Rangiku to slightly furious Momo and finally his eyes settled on shaken Karin. Also the atmosphere in the hall was pretty tense.

"What happened here?" he asked Rangiku, but it was Momo who answered him, telling the whole story with big amount of sarcasm in her words. It was visible that she didn't believe in any word Karin said. Toshiro looked on the girl once again. During their night talk she had given him the impression that she wasn't the person who could easily get scared, but now her face was pretty pale and her lips were forming straight line. Not listening to Momo, he went closer to the stairs and examined the area around it.

"Where did this happen?" he asked Karin.

Karin thought for a moment, trying desperately to remember where she was standing during the attack, meanwhile Toshiro turned his attention to two women who were watching it, one with interest, the other with resignation.

"Would you two together with Hiyori woke up everybody, please? We will need as much help as we can get during the night." He said, and Rangiku together with Momo quickly move to do what he had said.

When they were left alone he turned again to Karin.

"So where you were standing?" he asked her, pointing to the stairs.

"I think that it was here." She said, walking to the correct place.

Toshiro stood in the corner behind the stairs. Karin looked on him, he was almost invisible there, only his white hairs were visible pretty much. But if the person was smaller than him he or she would easily hide there without being noticed. Toshiro put his hand through the balustrade and grab Karin's ankle without much problem.

"It was like that?" he asked looking up on the girl.

"Yeah, exactly." She answered, furrowing her eyebrows. "But the hand was icily cold."

Toshiro looked around and spotted bucket with the water standing not far away. It had to been left behind by someone who was cleaning. Without much thinking he put his hand into the water and then wiped it into his trousers. Then he grabbed Karin's ankle again.

"Now?"

"Exactly how I felt before." She thought for a moment deeply. "But now when I'm thinking about it the hand was smaller than yours. And the doors were open." She added pointing on the ball room.

"Someone opened them on purpose." He said, taking his hand away.

"You think that…"

"At the moment I don't think anything." He answered and sighed tiredly. "Karin, I really wish that all this happened in other way." He said, resting his head on balustrade. "I want us to be together, but…"

"I know." Karin said, looking down on him with regret. "I understand the situation."

They were interrupted by the sound of the households, thanks to loud voice of Hiyori. Karin thought that this girl could be useful sometimes, even if she was a brat. She quickly run down the stairs but before she could went to the lamps again someone caught her wrist.

"You have to leave." Toshiro said, looking into her eyes. "Even if I don't want this, you have to. You are not save here any longer. Someone found out who you are, Karin."

Karin's eyes widened. How someone could find out when he himself had known surely since previous night? And when they had been talking the rest of the mansion had been asleep. She gulped. She wouldn't leave now… not when she met him. It would be just too hard for her.

"I don't want anything happen to you." He added and let her free.

When Rangiku, Momo and Hiyori came back to the hall, they saw Karin bending over the lamp and Toshiro walking to the drawing room. Everything was normal on the first sight.

'Something isn't right." Rangiku thought, watching the men's who she considered her own son back. 'The aura around him is different.'

She then looked closer on Karin. She spotted slight blush on her cheeks.

'Toshiro has an affair with maid?' she thought shocked. Then she smirked. 'I can tease him about it later! Boy, this will be fun.' She thought and went to the drawing room also. On that night none of them would get much sleep. And it was just the beginning…

#############

_A/N: I know that Toshiro found out about it pretty quickly, but I'm not planning to make this story long. I'm not sure how many chapters I will write yet, but I think that not much, since the story I'm basing on is also pretty short, even if I'm using some of my ideas as a bonus . Sorry ^^" _

_But please read the review aftre you read it :D _


	5. The Espada gang

Hey :D

Thnks everyone again fro the reviews, they are great as always XD

I also want to thank very much my beta, _Moon of Jupiter_, you are really great :D:D

So, enjoy your reading and leave a review when you finish :D

######

One hour later they heard a knock again.

Karin went to answer the door. It was the administrator, but this time he wasn't alone. Behind him stood the people who were living around the area of the mansion and in the glow of the moonlight peeking through the clouds, Karin could see their terrified faces.

"Hitsugaya-sama, they're wondering if they could stay here until the storm passes?" Ukitake asked gesturing at the worried people behind him. "They're quite daunted with sitting in their huts and the wind howling outside, and the people are terrified of the Espada."

Toushiro furrowed his brows and gave Karin a questioning look, but quickly moved his gaze over to Rangiku. Karin blushed slightly at the thought of Toushiro thinking of her as the mistress of his mansion. She was glad that no one caught notice of this.

"Of course they can." Rangiku smiled happily at the idea of having guests over. "It's too dangerous outside at the moment."

"Tell the others that anyone can come over to the mansion if they need to." Toushiro said to Ukitake who nodded in reply. Karin didn't know why, but she felt proud of Toushiro helping others in need.

"I also need to take a few men with me to check on the huts and animals." He continued.

Within fifteen minutes the main hall had become full of the people that lived nearby. Rangiku and Momo were busy locating everyone to different rooms while Hiyori was standing out of the way, looking upon them with curiosity; she had a habit of biting her nails. Karin watched the busy scene getting ready to help them if they asked her to. She could see Momo wasn't very good at hiding her displeasure of the whole situation, as opposed to Rangiku who was prancing around excitedly and chatting happily with the people. Karin was on her way to the kitchen when she was suddenly attacked by two small bodies crashing at her. She chuckled knowing it was Ukitake's two little twins.

"Hello boys." She greeted ruffling the hair of the twin hanging on to her waist.

"Cat-chan!" The boys took on the habit of calling her by a nickname they had come up for her, "Will you play with us?" They both asked with hopeful eyes.

"Sorry chibi-chan's, I can't at the moment." She felt terrible when she looked into their watery green eyes and saw disappointment.

"But why?" They whined hugging her tighter, with a slight pout.

"Because I need to help these people at the moment, But I promise when I'm free, I'll come play with you two, Ok?" She smiled at both the twins as she watched them bob their heads in agreement, before running off happily to find their mother.

##I am the hitsukarin line##

The servants were running around like headless chickens when she arrived at the kitchen. They were proud and loyal servants of the Hitsugaya household and they felt the indignity to serve their guests well. Especially their guests in the living rooms, which supposedly, only the Hitsugaya family members were allowed to enter.

Karin had come from the higher class of society, and thought that the scene before her was quite funny. But after a second thought she realized that she didn't know much about other people which didn't live the life she has. _'Maybe the time spent here won't be a waste after all?'_ She thought, rolling up her sleeves and beginning to help the cook.

When she was on her way back to the hall, she met Toushiro on the way. She had wanted to ask him a question all day, so she was glad that the people around her were noisy so no one could hear them.

"Is everything Ok? Can I go with you, maybe I can help?"

Toushiro would be more then glad to have her by his side. Mostly because he would be able to make sure that she was safe, and for other personal reasons as well. But he restrained himself. He sighed after a pause.

"No, you need to stay here." His teal eyes scanned over the room, "People will think that it's strange if you come with me. But be careful… and remember about our meeting." He added after a second. "But we might have to meet up a little later. Looks like the storm won't pass until eleven."

She nodded before parting her way and heading towards the living room. She was happy that the meeting was actually going to happen. She tried to hide the smile forming on her face.

As she passed a doorway, she saw Rangiku and Hiyori. The younger girl was watching her closely with a scowl on her face.

Karin furrowed her brows. She was pretty sure that none of them had heard her short conversation with Toushiro. But then again, maybe they were just surprised that Toushiro actually conversed with her? She took a big breath and walked into the room which looked very different than it normally would. She could smell the stench of odors coming from the clothes which the people in the room were wearing. Most of them were farmers and poor pheasants, who usually worked with livestock, and had less of a care for hygiene.

She could see Sogyo and Kotowari, running from one side of the room to the other, looking curiously at the elaborate tapestries or touching the decorative ornaments made from ivory or gold. They were pulling funny faces at the few portraits in the room, giggling where they thought it were funny.

As Karin made her way through the awed families huddled in the room, filling their cups and plates with water and food. Occasionally conversing with a few of them, while trying to avoid being glomped by the twins, who kept on trying to surprise her once in a while. She couldn't stop herself from thinking how it would be like if she was Toushiro's wife.

She shook her head and pulled her thoughts together. This wasn't the time to think about this.

She continued on to the next table, but suddenly jumped in surprise. One of the younger men who were sitting at the table had squeezed her bottom, a smirk plastered on his face. His companions were laughing and winking at her.

Her blood boiled. The infamous Kurosaki temper threatened to spill from her after days of suppression, but before she could beat the crap out of the smiling idiot, a hand had clamped down on his shoulder.

Karin looked up and was surprised to see Toushiro standing behind the young man, sending him a deadly cold glare.

"May I ask. _WHAT_ _exactly_ are you doing?" He narrowed his teal eyes dangerously, and the boy gulped and squirmed under the pressure of his teal eyes. Karin wasn't surprised when his companions backed away.

"I-I…just…" The young man stammered, eyes darting around looking for a chance to run. But Toushiro's hand was placed firmly on his shoulder stopping his chances of fleeing.

"Yes?" Toushiro raised a snowy brow, still glowering at the boy, "Would you care to complete your sentence please? I am curious about your inappropriate behavior towards my maid."

"I…I…it…I…I wasn't thinking." The boy gulped.

Karin was beginning to feel a little sorry for the guy, she decided she'd be as scared of she was being stared at by _that_ type of glare.

"Oh really? Well then next time, make sure you use your brain." His voice was like a blizzard, tightened his grip, "If I catch you doing something like this again, I won't let you off so easily again, and it won't be pleasurable. Do you understand?" He frowned.

The young man nodded his head furiously. He understood it **very** clearly.

"Good. Now apologize to Cathrine and behave." He let go of his shoulder, and patted it; hard.

The guy turned to Karin and apologized to her very quickly with Toushiro's glare still boring into his back.

Karin accepted the apology- even though she still wanted to punch the guy in the face- and snuck a glance at Toushiro, who gave her a slight nod then turned around and exited the living room.

Karin turned around to the next table, deciding to head far away from these little perverts. Her heart was thumping heavily on her chest when he had rushed to aid her. Karin, unlike her sisters, was an independent girl and never thought that she needed protecting, because she felt that she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. But just then, when Toushiro stood up against those perverts, she felt happy; felt a waft of emotions flowing through her.

She didn't feel like some damsel in distress.

No.

Kurosaki Karin felt far from it, she felt just like a normal girl, protected and warm, and she liked it.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Momo watching her with strange look in her eyes. Karin decided to shrug it off, though there was a sudden pressure on her shoulders.

The twins continued to hassle her playfully, but she didn't mind at all.

##I am the hitsukarin line##

The storm didn't cease to submit within passing hour. The wind was still blowing hard against the manor walls and Karin could hear the women in the living room, anxiously talking about the Espada gang.

She wondered what they were frightened of. They were in a house full of people, what can happen to them? She shrugged and went back to her work.

"Cathrine!" She heard Toushiro's voice in the hallway. He was standing at the front door, "Could you please prepare the spandrel? We have to put piglets in there. The pens won't stand any longer. And go get my jacket from my office and hand it to Ukitake, please." He rushed out before she could say anything to him.

She quickly moved upstairs to get the jacket. When she came down stairs again, Ukitake was already waiting for her. He nodded a 'thanks' and hurried off.

Karin needed to get to the kitchen next, but decided to use a longer way to avoid the ballroom. She passed the dark dining room, which two men caught her attention. They were standing near the cupboard with the silver ornaments, their backs facing towards her. They had turned quickly when they felt someone's eyes on them only to meet Karin's stare.

Karin shivered. One of the men was very tall, with a slim figure and had long black hair and a pale long face. The other was blonde, with a broad build and muscular arms, but his face was emotionless.

'_Could that be that Espada gang, everyone was talking about?'_ She thought, beginning to worry about the situation.

"I thought Hitsugaya-sama told you to sit in the living room." She said in more-than-a-little-annoyed voice, sounding very much a like Lurichiyo when the girl was scolding the maids at home. "Please go back there now. You are not allowed to run around the house."

She headed off without acknowledging their apologies, which did not sound very genuine at all, she noted. She decided that the master of the mansion needed to know about this- Rangiku and Momo couldn't do anything- so her last and best option was Toushiro.

That meant that she had to go outside and look for him. She sighed and moved quickly to the back door, cursing the two men in her mind.

When she opened the door, she was almost thrown to the ground by the sheer gusts of wind. She grabbed the wall to steady herself quickly.

'_I __never knew that the wind could be like this.'_ She thought while peering outside.

It was dark and she lost her orientation. She cursed to herself again. Really, she had to be born under some sort of cursed star.

When the silver light of the moon streamed out from the clouds, she almost confessed her undying love for the orb in the sky which literally gave her the gift of sight for the moment.

'Mag-nificent. Ju-st what I wanted to see!' She thought sarcastically when the first thing she saw was the window of the ball room.

She bent forward slightly and moved from the wall, fighting the wind. She could hear voices from afar so she moved in that direction.

From the dark, a tall figure approached her and she heard Toushiro's voice.

"Hitsugaya-sama!" she called to catch his attention.

"Kar….Cathrine?" he quickly corrected himself almost letting it slip. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you…"

"Yes, I know." She interrupted him, feeling the biting cold wind whipping her long hair about. "But I saw some very suspicious looking men in the dining room, and I think they were trying to steal the silver ware. I'm not sure but I thought they might be from Espada Gang? I think that they snuck inside when the lamps in the hall went off…" she thought about it for a moment. "Or maybe they just used back door…"

Soon the other men gathered around to listen to what Karin was saying.

"How many of them were there?" Toushiro asked, putting his hand on Karin's shoulder to help her regain her balance from the wind. She blushed slightly, thankful that it was dark.

"I saw two."

"But there can be more." He stated seriously, "Kira, take the horse and go fetch the constable quickly. You three stay here and take care of the house, the rest of you come with me." He ordered swiftly without any hesitation. "Who's got a rifle?"

"I have one." Ukitake said, moving in next to the young heir.

"Great. Cathrine," He turned his attention to the shivering girl, "Since you can move around the house without being suspected. Go to my office again, in the drawer of my desk is a gun and in the second drawer on the left of the desk, is box with ammunition. Hide it under your dress and bring it to me."

## I am the hitsukarin line ##

Toushiro was sure that she would take the front door, where many people were walking around and she'd be safe. But instead, Karin had taken the way which she had used to come here – the back door, and it was too dark for him to see which way she went.

She quickly made her way back to the mansion. Well, as quickly as she can with the howling wind pushing against her small body, and by the time she made it she was happy enough that she was still alive.

Rushing through the hallway she bumped into five men, two of them were the same men she had seen stealing the silver from before.

"Didn't I tell you that you're not allowed to run around the house?" She said loud enough in hope that maybe one of Toushiro's men within house would've heard her.

Sure, she could defend herself pretty well, but against five big guys- in which she only reached the chin of the shortest one- she was out of the game.

Toushiro, meanwhile, was oblivious to where Karin had gone, and was waiting for her near the back door.

"Pis' off, _girl_." The one with black hair and green eyes sneered. He took her arm and yanked her aside. Karin tried to kick him in defense.

At the same moment, the other men had met up with Toushiro and they headed inside the hallway. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Karin struggling with five large men.

He felt his heart skip a beat.

He may not have known her for a long time, but she was dear to him. She had grown close to him through her letters, but now that they met and got to know each other in person, he felt he liked her even more.

Cursing himself for not reminding her to take front door before sending her off to fetch his gun. He watched as a man with blue hair grab her roughly and put a knife to her throat.

"One move and her blood spills!" He taunted menacingly. Everyone stopped.

Toushiro felt helpless and enraged as he watched the Espada Gang hold Karin hostage. They backed up further into the house deciding to escape through the front instead. But thankfully, a few of Toushiro's men had stayed outside the building, and when they caught wind of the situation, they quickly moved to the front door surprising the gang from behind. Ukitake, who was with them, aimed a loaded rifle at the criminals.

"Let go of the girl now!" He demanded, but none of the men moved.

The guy who was holding her, swore loudly and quickly pulled the girl into the closest room he could reach.

"Move! Quickly!" He roared at Karin who was struggling to free herself. But it was no use and Karin felt useless, and she absolutely HATED feeling like a 'damsel in distress'. Not something which she thought she'd ever become.

"Let go of me you bastard!" she screamed trying to kick him, but he tightened his grip on her and she failed to do any damage to him.

The gang opened the doors, which led to the basement, ignoring her screaming and shouting and the blue eyed man shoved her inside. Karin felt like the ground had disappeared suddenly. But thankfully she had been here before, so she knew which side the balustrade was on, in which she grabbed to prevent herself from falling down the stairs.

Two of the gang members , which Karin had seen in the dining room, were not so lucky. As soon as they charged in through the door, they went rolling down the stairs with a cry, another two had been caught in the hallway, and the one with blue hair was standing next to her, closing and bolting the door just in time before Toushiro caught up to him.

'_Why do they have an iron bolt in the basement?'_ Karin thought surprised and curious. She could hear Toushiro and other men trying to force the door open, but it was no use.

"Karin!" Toushiro shouted, rattling the door.

Her eyes widened. He had to be really angry and worried for him to forget to use her fake name in the presence of others in the hall.

"I'm h…" She was cut off by big hand gagging her mouth.

"One more word and this will be your end, little girl." The blue haired man snapped, bending down to face her at eye level. Why the hell did she had to be left with the biggest one? "Now show me the way."

"What way?" she lied, trying to earn some time. Maybe Toushiro could open the door some way? She glanced at the enormous bolt. Like hell he could…

"Don't talk shit, idiot!"

"I'm not an idiot!"

"Like hell I care. Now lead me to the exit." He said, grabbing her arm.

"I don't know the way!" she said. "I'm new here!"

"Don't give me that bullshit, now go!" he shoved her and she reluctantly started down the stairs, accidently stepping on one of the men who'd rolled down the stairs, he groaned.

"Get up." The blue haired man barked.

"If I could, Grimmjow, I would be standing right now." The man on the ground whined.

"I said, _**get up**_!" Grimmjow, who was holding Karin firmly, bent down to hoist the men upright.

Karin used this moment to free herself. She kicked him in the shin, he screamed and loosened his grip on her. She took the chance to pull herself from his grasp and run, having no idea where she was heading. She didn't care about their angry retort she just ran.

She knew there was a second exit somewhere, but where? She mentally sighed. Toushiro had enough problems on his mind, he didn't need a new one. This whole ghost business was bad enough, and now he had to deal with some stupid gang, and on top of that, they had taken her hostage.

His desperate expression flashed though her mind when he had seen her with the knife at her throat. She only wanted to find out why he had broken the contract, she never thought that she'd give him this much trouble.

First, were broken windows.

Then, threatening messages, and now, a kidnapping.

'_After __this he's definitely gonna put me on the train.' _She thought, still running.

The men were hot on her tail so she started to run faster.

'_They don't care about me.'_ She thought, _'They just want to find the exit. But then again that won't stop them from killing me. My life sucks!'_ she shook her head to clear her mind.

She took a turn and suddenly found herself in a room. The wall disappeared and she had the impression that she was in bigger a space now. She looked around but she couldn't see anything. She sat at a corner, hiding herself behind the wall, using the sacks of coal as a cover.

She waited quietly.

After a few seconds she heard that Grimmjow run past her. He hadn't spotted her in the lack of light, and he melted into the darkness as his footsteps became further away.

'_Where the hell is the __other one?'_ she thought, sitting as still as she could. She heard some slow footsteps a distance away from her, heading in a different direction. _'Maybe he was lost and didn't know the way?'_ She couldn't care less.

The truth was, she didn't have a bloody clue of where she was at the moment, and how to get out. She wanted to scream in frustration but she couldn't, lest she leads the Espada gang members back to her.

She heard some shuffling noises again. Toushiro and the others were surely moving down to the basement using another flight of stairs. But, from what she remembered, they were on the other end of the building.

Knowing that it would definitely earned the attention of the Gang, she resisted the urge to scream out for him. She was definitely screwed.

True, one of them wouldn't be much of a danger, since he was wounded, but she didn't want to risk it, and she didn't feel like a second encounter with Grimmjow.

The guy was creepy.

She knew that she couldn't sit there any longer. The angst was too big to just sit and wait, and it was very dark, but she decided to move from her position.

Using the wall to support herself, she moved forward until she stopped at what seemed like a corridor. There were three small windows high up the top of the wall, almost near the ceiling. And moonlight filtered through them slightly.

Karin wasn't sure this was good or bad. Surely, it did make her vision better but it also made her more venerable to be spotted.

She could hear voices calling her.

They were closer now. She could even make out Toushiro's voice, which made her feel more hopeful. But she was still afraid of answering, unsure if she should shout back. She didn't know where the other man was and she couldn't bring herself to risk it.

Leaning on the wall, she decided to wait until Toushiro's men were close enough so she could see them.

##I am the hitsukarin line##

Minutes past and time, was not cooperating with her impatience, but she resisted herself from screaming.

Suddenly, she heard voices somewhere behind her.

_Behind_ the wall.

She felt like smashing her head on the wall. Because she had just realized, that the basement had to be connected by a few corridors. It was probably like a maze, and they were on the other side of the wall at the exact same spot.

How the _hell_ was she going to reach Toushiro now?

'_Screw it.'_ She decided, and she opened her mouth and called out, but stopped as she heard some hesitant footsteps not very far.

Her blood froze.

Without much thought she started to run, she passed the windows and kept on running further into the dark. At times, she lost her balance and scrapped her hands on the wall, but decided that anything was better than landing in the hands of the Espada Gang.

The old stone floor was damp and slippery, and in her haste, she slipped from the mould. She fell and hit her head on the floor. Pain shot through her head and for a moment she was dizzy and she couldn't move. She was panting and tired and her hands were hurting.

She thought ironically of the people sitting calmly in the living room above her while she was going through the worse nightmare in her life just beneath them.

Peachy.

She forced herself to sit up straight as her ears perked at the sound.

She could hear it again. Slow, hesitant steps behind her…

She stood up again and started to run. She could hear the person's heavy breath from behind her.

Spotting a new corridor at the corner of her eye, Karin made a turn into it without any hesitation. She couldn't hear Toushiro or the other men anymore. They had probably reached the dead man near the stairs already.

She ran and she ran and she didn't know to where anymore, and for the moment all the stories about Hitsugaya Sakura's ghost came flooding into her mind. It was not helping her at all, but scaring her even more.

The footsteps behind her hastened and she slipped again on a stone. Her hand brushed against something and to her surprise she felt some kind of metal wicket gate. She pulled it slightly but it didn't move.

She looked up at another small window high above the wall. At the same moment the moon decided to show itself from the clouds and the light filtered through the window and the gate.

Karin's heart stopped.

Behind the gate, stood a woman in a white dress, she was looking down at her but she couldn't see her clearly, her face obscured by shadows.

Then, the moon disappeared behind the clouds again and she was once again swallowed up by darkness.

The panic and adrenaline finally got the better of her.

She screamed like she had never screamed in her life.

Now. Karin wasn't your average girl, she was a brave girl, but everyone had their limit. She turned around, closed her eyes and all she could do was run. All she could scream was Toushiro's name. She slipped few times and she was shivering uncontrollably, but she didn't care, she just needed to get away, to find someone, _anyone_.

"Karin!" After what seemed like eternity, she heard his voice calling her again.

She paused and she ran in the direction of his voice, bumping into the walls and doors, and tripping along the way. She was exhausted and her strength began to dissolve.

"She's here!" she heard a shouted, and someone grabbed her arms. "I'm Inside, over here!"

"Let go of me!" She panicked, terrified and struggled to free herself.

"It's ok, Cathrine." It was Ukitake's soothing voice. "We found you, calm down. Calm down."

She heard more people come running towards them, and then suddenly she felt a pair of strong arms pull her close. Raising her head up slightly, she saw that it was Toushiro, a relieved expression visible on his face. He pulled her closer to himself and rested his cheek on her hair, stroking her back assuring her that she was safe now.

She was safe now as she buried her face into his chest heaving in big breaths trying to calm herself down and stop herself from shivering. His scent surrounded her and she hugged him tighter.

"She was there, I saw her!" she mumbled into his shirt, knowing that she didn't make much sense.

"Her? I think you meant them. Weren't you with the Espada Gang here?" Ukitake said, giving the girl pitiful look. He was slightly surprised by Toushiro's actions but he kept it to himself.

"Two of them fell from the stairs, one is wounded." Her voice muffled in Toushiro's shirt.

"The other is lying dead near the stairs." Toushiro added. "So it only leaves Grimmjow."

"We'll catch him. There is no way that he can escape now." Ukitake said and few men started to search for him again.

"You were so scared because of Grimmjow?" Toushiro asked the girl gathered in his arms. Now it was only them two and Ukitake left.

"No, but _she_ was there… in some room…"

"Who?" Ukitake asked, looking worriedly at the girl.

"Hitsugaya Sakura." Karin mumbled the answer, still hiding her face into Toushiro's shirt. "I want to get out of here…"

"Wait a moment. What room?" Toushiro asked, furrowing his brows.

"The metal gate. I saw her there, from the light coming from the window, there was one window with the gate…" she answered, the image was clear in her head.

Ukitake thought for a moment before saying.

"Window and gate? I know where it is." He said.

"Me too." Toushiro added. He took Karin's hand and parted away from her. The girl wanted to hit him because she didn't want to leave her comfortable position at the moment. "Come on, Karin."

Ukitake was curious why the heir was calling the maid by a different name, but dropped it. From experience he knew that there was no way in getting an answer from Hitsugaya Toushiro if he didn't want to tell you.

"No… No, no, no, no and did I say no? I will not go back there! _Ever_ again." Karin shook her head backing away from Toushiro. "No way in hell, NO!"

"Calm down, everything will be fine." He said, placing his hands on her shoulder and bent down to look into her onyx eyes. "Ukitake is here and I'll be with you, we have a lamp, so you'll be safe."

"No."

"Please…"

"No."

"Karin, Don't worry."

"No."

"Come on, it'll be fine."

"No."

"Don't chicken out."

"No… what? I'm not chickening out!"

"Yes you are."

"No! I just…"

"You just…"

"Just… no!"

"It still means that you're a chicken."

"No, I'm not!"

"Then prove it."

"Fine, I'll go with you!" Karin mentally slapped herself and glared at Toushiro who smirked at her. This cheeky bastard… Ukitake was watching them, sweatdropping. Yeah, this pair wasn't your usual love birds… especially that he was a heir to a major estate and she was only a maid.

They moved forward, Karin was still holding onto Toushiro's hand tightly. They didn't get far when they heard some cursing and fighting.

"I think they caught Grimmjow." Ukitake said, looking towards the direction of the sounds.

"Good, one problem less." Toushiro said, continuing on.

'_How __on earth did they find their way here?'_ Karin thought, trailing behind them, still angry that she let herself fall into Toushiro's trap. But she had to admit that now that they had lamps, the basement didn't look as scary as it did before.

They passed one of the men, who reported back to Toushiro.

"We got them." He added. "the constable is already here."

"Good. So we have all five of them here."

"Yes, all the Espada Gang."

"Well, at least there was some good in this situation." Toushiro said. "Thanks to Cathrine."

Karin didn't acknowledge the compliment, since she was still fuming about the way she was dragged into going back.

"I'm sorry for asking, Hitsugaya-sama." Ukitake said, looking on young man. "But what exactly is her name: Karin or Cathrine?"

Toushiro almost slapped himself physically. He realized how many times he had called her Karin already. It was good that none of the women had been with them.

"Cathrine. I've mixed up the name of someone else."

Ukitake nodded and moved ahead from Toushiro and Karin.

"Someone got caught." Karin sang to him quietly smirking at him when Ukitake wasn't able to hear them.

"Yeah, but I'm not the one who was forced in coming here because she was too proud to admit that she was scared." He answered, glancing back at her.

"I'm not…!"

"Yeah, I know, you're not scared." He interrupted her in his sarcastic tone.

She felt like kicking him.

Really hard.

In the place where it hurts the most.

But one day she wanted to have children with him… she blushed and shook her head again. What the hell was wrong with her today? Oh yeah, _everything_.

They finally reached their destination and stopped. Ukitake put the lamp up. Karin shivered and wanted to turn around only to be stopped by Toushiro's hand.

"Wait, Karin. It's all right. Was this the gate you saw?"

Karin nodded her head.

"It shouldn't be closed." Ukitake said, furrowing his brows.

"No. When we came down it was open." Toushiro said, a little concerned now, "Look, it's just a niche behind the doors leading upstairs."

"But I saw her. Right there." She pointed.

"Listen, Karin. I mean Cathrine. Hitsugaya Sakura is rests in the church near the mansion. Like the rest of my family. There is no reason for you to be scared." He looked her in the eyes. "And I thought that you didn't believe in ghosts."

"Because I don't!" She retorted angrily. _'At least I didn't'_ she thought shaking her head again.

"Yeah right."

"She's doing it again." Ukitake interrupted them again, sadly.

"I know. We have to do something about it." Toushiro sighed, almost tiredly.

"Yes, I realize that. Why does everyone have to suffer? She deliberately locked the gate so Cathrine couldn't get out…" Ukitake continued in his same manner.

"Maybe…." The heir added, a little lost in thought.

"I heard some noise when I was got closer to the gates." Karin said, trying to recall everything.

"Hmmm…?" Toushiro sighed. "Ok, let's leave now."

Ukitake opened the doors, allowing them to get out. Karin sighed in relief.

Finally, she was free.


	6. Conversation in dark

Hi ^^

Thanks everyone for reviews, you guys are great :D

And thanks again to my beta, Moon of Jupiter :D

Enjoy your reading and leave a review after you do it D

Cheers ^.^

######

When they finally got out of the basement, they were immediately met with the concerned voice of Rangiku, Momo just trailing behind her.

"Dear Me! What in the world happened to you?" Matsumoto almost swooped at Karin knocking her breasts onto her, "You poor child, you must've gone through hell down there." She grabbed Karin's shoulders and inspected her up and down at arms length, while cooing about how awful it must've been. Although Karin felt slightly uncomfortable, she was also felt a little contrite and didn't really know what to tell her, so she simply nodded and gave her a reassuring smile, even if it was a little weak.

They started to move back to the house quickly as the wind was still wild and whipping about, and Karin was feeling much better than she felt a moment ago.

Hiyori stood unceremoniously at the opposite end of the hallway and was watching all the commotion happening with a frigid expression. The girl simply did not like Karin, and Karin didn't know why.

Karin looked around. She had thought it odd when she first emerged from the basement, as the noises and chaos which had come from within the house had disappeared. The surrounding grounds were silent, except for the rustling of trees and occasional rumble of the sky, and the villages seem to have all disappeared, leaving haphazard footprints along on the way to prove that they had indeed been here.

Rangiku, who had spotted her questioning look, smiled warmly and explained, "The villages have gone back to their homes." Karin's head abruptly turned in her direction, a surprised expression appeared on her heart shaped face, "Well, when they'd found out that the Espada Gang had gotten into the mansion, they got scared and decided to go back to their homes." She sighed, her huge chest heaving up and down, "I guess the Espada Gang were scarier to them than the storm." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Now, come with me. We need to get you all cleaned up. You look terrible my dear!" she took girl's wrist and started to drag her towards the bathroom.

Karin wanted to tell her she would be alright by herself, but stopped herself as she thought it might be rude to reject her generosity. She looked down at her free hand, which was covered with scratches and dust. She was pretty sure that the rest of her body was probably decorated with bruises of sorts. After all, she had slipped, slammed, crashed, scrapped, herself more times today than added together in the whole year. She never really cared about how she looked, it wasn't important to her so much, but now that Toushiro was here; he was making her very self conscious.

What would he think about her, all covered in dust?

Rangiku looked at Toushiro, quietly questioning him about what happened to the poor girl down in the basement.

But He'd only answered briefly, "She got locked in." Although calm, he avoided the strawberry blonde's gaze.

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to get a word out of him if he didn't want to reveal anything himself, the bosomous lady sighed tiredly while massaging the bridge of her nose.

They were heading towards the back door of the kitchen, and Karin could hear Momo whisper, "Rangiku-san, this has to stop!"

Rangiku didn't answer, seemingly lost in her own thoughts, but her hold on Karin's wrist tightened slightly. Karin was not sure what she meant, but was thankful that her grip was not firm enough to have hurt her.

There was a sudden rush towards them as they entered through the backdoor. The men who had helped with the searching, were in high spirits and spreading the news to the other people in and around the house. The constable arrested the four gang members, and the dead body had been taken away.

When the four of them went inside, everyone went quiet and then the women present all rushed at Karin, happy to help her get clean, ignoring her protests that she could do it herself.

After a very awkward bath and some struggling and insistence, Karin was finally clean.

Toushiro had then grabbed her silently and made her sit down. She watched him leave the room and come back with a wooden box. A little confused at his motif, she was surprised when he opened the box to reveal ointments, medicine, cotton gauze, pills etc. He grabbed some cotton, picked up some antiseptic and began to take care of her wound delicately. "This will hurt a bit." His husky voice brought shivers down her spine, but the tone was incredibly soft. His benevolent gaze was fixed on her palm as he held her hand and carefully dabbed at the cuts, expression focused, eyebrows knotted. She bit her lips at the stinging sensation.

She didn't tell him that her knees were also scraped. Really, she still had too much pride, she already felt like a useless little princess and she wasn't about to keep that feeling. She decided to take care of it herself later on.

Hiyori, who was now standing in the doorway, was acting very strange, keeping an eye on everything with an angry stare.

"What is all this rush for?" she snorted under her breath, "She's just a maid for pete's sake!" She was unhappy that Karin seemed to be receiving all the attention.

Momo, who had been in a sour mood all evening, lost her patience and took girl by her arm.

"Stop it Hiyori. You can't be like that. Now, go to bed!" She grabbed the girl roughly and led a protesting Hiyori away from the room.

Rangiku watched them leave with a worried expression on her face, but didn't get up to follow them. Karin had noticed a deep sadness in her eyes, in which puzzled her even more. Rangiku-san was usually not like that at all.

There was a heavy silence following Hiyori's departure, but no one commented on it. And Karin was beginning to get uncomfortable that she'd seemed to be the one creating all this unbalance. She opened her mouth a few times but closed it because she didn't know how to start.

"So. What happened to the piglets?" Karin asked the first question which popped into her mind to cut the silence.

It was just really disturbing.

"Can't you hear them?" Toushiro asked lifting his gaze to give her a gorgeous smile.

Now, when she concentrated on trying to hear it, she could make out the quiet grunts coming from the spandrel. She hadn't notice it before because she was simply overwhelmed at the whole situation. She started to hear the wind, which was still hitting mercilessly at the walls of the mansion.

She could hear strange noises coming from the basement, like someone the doors open and they were creaking with the wind. She shuddered at the memories.

Never again would she go down there.

No way in hell.

She hadn't many fears in her life, but she was sure that in the future there would be one or two nightmares visiting her in the night.

Toushiro finished with the antiseptic and applied some medicine to her wounds before bandaging it with cotton gauze.

Momo came back to the room carrying a bucket of water with her. She was surprised when it was the one which Toushiro had dipped his hand in that night to make his hand cold to the touch, the one sitting in the dark corner near the stair case.

"Hiyori broke the vase today." She explained when she felt their gazes on her. "I told her to clean it up and bring the bucket back to the kitchen. But like always, she didn't listen. She hid it in the corner next to the stairs!"

Rangiku didn't say anything. She was looking out the window with a solemn expression.

Toushiro's eyes settled on the strawberry blonde before giving a heavy sigh.

Karin, feeling awkward again, decided it was time she had left their family circle.

"I have to go upstairs and change." She announced getting up from the chair where she was sitting. "Arigatou everyone, for you help." She bowed deeply to everyone, who had all turned and placed their eyes on her now.

Rangiku smiled, "Don't mention it Cathrine dear. Goodnight." her voice was slightly more cheerful again, but Karin could hear note of forcefulness, "You had a really tiring day today. We _all_ had a tiring day today, I think it would be best if we all go to bed now, it's late."

Karin almost hugged the woman in front of her, but stopped herself. It would be inappropriate to do, since she was just a maid. But before leaving the kitchen she caught Toushiro's glance, sending her a very clear message.

Karin would never forget about their meeting. _Never_.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

As the night deepened, time still didn't move fast enough to her liking. She had waited and waited for it very impatiently, and she was not going to let some gang affect their chances of meeting up, even if it was secretly. She was surprised when he'd asked one of the other female servants to walk her upstairs as she herself was seen as a servant too.

When Karin finally got to her room, the first thing she did was look at her clock. It was only eleven. She raised her eyebrows at the time. Funny, it felt like she spent more time down in the bloody basement than she really did.

Quickly assessing herself and her awful attire, she changed into one of her better dresses which she had brought from home.

"_Maybe it was good that she wouldn't be Toushiro's wife?"_ She thought sarcastically, she wouldn't be able to stand this type of _'attraction'_ every day. Even she had her limits.

She shook her head. What was she thinking anyway? Of course she wanted to marry him! Murdered a hundred times over!

She gave depressing sigh at the thought of him. Why the hell was it so hard? She knew that she was in danger, but she didn't want to leave him.

She couldn't leave him.

'_Get a grip Kurosaki!' _she thought, picking up the hair brush and running through her dark strands vigorously not caring that it hurt.

She had decided that she wanted to, in the first time in her life, look like a true lady, not like the tomboy she used to be. She remembered stealing clothes from her brother many times when she was younger, and playing around with the local lads. Of course she had to take the ones which Ichigo _used _to wear when he was a child, since Ichigo had started to grow so tall in his teens and his normal clothes just wouldn't fit.

She remembered the times which her brother and sister would pester her about being a lady, and she never felt like she needed to be one. But now it was different, she wanted to look in the least tolerable. She glanced in the mirror, standing straight and smoothing out her dress.

She swallowed at the reflection.

'_Not bad'_ she thought looking at herself. _'Oh well, it'll have to do._' Scrutinizing herself the next second.

She had few scratches on her nose, but decided that since she couldn't do anything about it, there was not use worrying herself over it.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

When the hand of the clocks in the mansions struck half past eleven, Karin was already standing at the stairs behind kitchen, waiting for Toushiro.

She had this odd feeling that someone was watching her from the corners of the dark and the image of the woman in the white dress emerged from her mind. She shook her head. For goodness sake, she didn't believe in ghosts! There was no such a thing. But then again, who was the woman in the basement?

Her mind started to run over every woman in the mansion who could be a suspect, and she already had two candidates. But before she could clearly formulate it in her mind, she felt a hand closing over her mouth, and without thinking she elbowed the person in the stomach as hard as she could.

She heard a low grunt, she proceeded to turn around and hit the person in the face, but she stopped when the person behind her bent over holding his stomach. She saw a blur of white hair from the corner of her eyes when the person leaned his head on her shoulder. He looked like he was in pain and rested his forehead on her shoulder from behind.

"You're pretty strong, you know?" he whispered quietly massaging his stomach. An arm snaked around her waist to keep his balance

"You shouldn't surprise me like that, you know?" she huffed him an answer.

"Yeah, I know." Pause, "Well, now at least." He slowly straightened himself up.

"You were thinking about something?" he asked, as Karin turned around to face him.

"Yeah, about the women in the mansion." Karin said gloomily. Toushiro raised his brows, she looked at him.

"What?"

"I didn't know that you…" he stopped and made round motion with his hand.

"I what?"

"That you liked women."

She blinked at him a few times and turned red. She almost kicked him, but he smoothly slid out of the way.

"You're feisty." he looked at her with a smirk.

"Yeah, and you're a pervert! But I'm not complaining…."

"Yeah, I know." He smiled at her and took her hand in his, "Follow me."

"Who's gonna follow you, pervert?" she pushed him playfully, but followed him nonetheless.

"Because I'm your pervert. Now shush." He placed a finger over his lips.

They tiptoed upstairs and he led her into his room. She was hoping that no one saw them otherwise she'd be in trouble.

_Big_ trouble.

She looked around the corridor to make sure it was empty, just in case. Though she was pretty sure that Toushiro wouldn't lead her into trouble anyway.

When they got inside, he locked the door behind him.

"We can't speak too loudly because someone might be able hear us." He said quietly, walking closer to her. "You don't mind?"

"No, that's fine." She answered shaking her head and sitting on the chair which he moved for her.

She was surprised when he suddenly kneeled in front of her.

"Listen, I know that you don't want to talk about it… but I have to ask." He said furrowing his brows and taking her hand in his, and Karin could see that he was regretting it already. "The woman you saw in the basement… what exactly did she look like?"

Karin swallowed and looked at him. He was looking straight in her eyes, apologizing silently for reminding her about the horrible events she'd gone through today.

She looked down at their hands, she felt much safer with him near her and she wasn't scared for the moment. Taking in a nervous breath, she tried to pull up her thoughts as she went over the image in her head for a minute. The fact that Toushiro was holding her hand gave her comfort.

'_Great, now I'm like Yuzu and Lurichiyo.'_ She thought ironically, but then returned to concentrating on the matter at hand.

"I didn't see her face properly. The shadows…." She said, the vision melting into view in her mind again. "She was wearing a white dress." Coincidentally Momo and Hiyori were both wearing white dresses today, only Rangiku was wearing pink.

She tried to look from a different perspective, "She wasn't very tall…rather petite. Sorry, but I can't describe anymore." She smiled weakly at him.

Toushiro squeezed her reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I just wanted to check something." He said with a serious expression on his face. He looked at her deeply for a moment, before taking her off guard by pulling her into tight hug. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. You shouldn't be going through all this. It's all my fault." His grip tightened as he buried his cheek into her hair.

Her heart was beating even more wildly than when she was in the basement. She was sure he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. She hesitated for a moment before putting her arms around him. She had never before been embraced by any other man other than her brother and father, but she had to admit, that being in Toushiro's arms was different. It was indescribable.

"It's not your fault." She said to him quietly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It is." He said, taking in her scent. "If I hadn't hesitated in my actions nothing like that would've happened and we would've been married already." he almost growled with frustration. "This whole situation… it's not just affecting my life….it's…"

"Toushiro, is there something bothering you?" Karin asked, slightly pushing herself away from his embrace to look into his eyes. He gave a tired sigh, his arm still lingering around her waist.

"It's nothing really…."

"_I can't. I really want to tell you, but I can't." _he thought, resting his eyes for a moment_. "I gave my word to the dying man. I can't break it. Otherwise I would never be able to look into your eyes again." _

He opened his eyes. They were like glass piercing straight into hers. "For all these years….I was just trying to make things better, but I failed. Then, I had to make a choice." He ran a hand through his unruly locks of white, "I thought that breaking the contract would mean the best for you and me… Believe me, I didn't know that it would end up like this. I didn't want to bring trouble to you or your family, your sisters. You don't know how much I regret it right now." He stopped for a moment and Karin didn't interrupt him.

She was surprised that he was saying so much to her about his feelings and his frustrations. She knew that this was only their true first meeting, but after ten years of writing letters she felt like she knew him forever. She had considered him to be her best friend for so many years, even if only through pen and paper. She was aware that he knew her better than anyone else, even her brother or her father.

"When I saw you today…" he continued, still looking her in the eyes. "Taken hostage by Grimmjow… It felt like the worst moment in my life. You don't understand how relieved I felt when we found you alive." His eyes darted away from her, a little afraid of his own emotion flowing out of him at this moment, "I…I was afraid that Grimmjow would kill you, that you'd be gone….and it'd be all my fault."

"I told you that it's not your fault. No one could've predicted it. " She interrupted him, "And you're not the one who pretended to be the ghost…are you?" When he glared at her slightly, she smirked. "See, so it's not your fault. You're not the one that dragged me into the basement. So don't you dare, Hitsugaya Toushiro, say to me that you are guilty, because I will kick your ass the next time I hear that again."

Toushiro snorted at her comment, a smile was already lingering at the corner of his lips.

"I would like to see you try." His face dangerously close to her, that she felt his breath brush against her lips.

"You would be surprised." She said blushing, but relieved to hear his playful tone again.

Toushiro opened his mouth to say something, but stopped suddenly and looked at the door.

"Wait here for a second. I think I heard someone." he stood up.

Karin watched him cross over to the door and unlock it. She wanted to go over to him, but knew better. If someone saw her with him, her situation would be worse, and she didn't want to cause him any trouble than she felt she was already. So she waited, very unlike her usual self, sitting still on the chair. Her eyes studied the room for the short time he was gone, and curiously landed upon to the a seemingly secret door. It was odd, big, old and very sturdy, built to hide secrets.

"It was only Momo." Toushiro said coming back into the room. "She was going to the bathroom." He looked at her and caught her eyes on the doors of his private room. "Curious?" he asked her with a smirk.

She looked at him and blushed slightly, was she that obvious?

"Who wouldn't be curious? You have such a heavily secured door, in a room with few such locks. It isn't normal." She answered.

"Yeah, right. Come." He made a motion to her with his head indicating her to follow him.

"What?" she wasn't too comfortable in standing up without a reason.

"Come here I'll show you something." He held his hand out to her.

Karin stood up and moved closer to him taking his out stretched hand.

"I hope that it's worth me leaving my comfortable spot." She said.

"You'll see." He said taking the keys from his pocket and unlocking the door. "I'm just going to fill you in with your curiosity."

Karin's eyes widened.

"But…"

He glanced at her, while unlocking the door.

"Forget what Hiyori told you." He said, grabbing the knob.

"You were eavesdropping!" she pointed accusing finger at him.

"I was just curious at what your reaction would be." He smiled and pushed opened the door.

Karin glared at him and he ushered her inside.

She looked around.

In the middle of the room stood a small table and when she got closer she could see that it was decorated with souvenirs. Not just any souvenir, they were every souvenir that she had sent him on his birthday and during Christmas. She also saw her letters taken out from the envelopes and hung all over a wall. She could see that someone had read it a few times.

She blushed. She remembered what she wrote in those, and thinking back to the words in them, it was really kind of embarrassing. She wrote everything which was on her mind, even what her stupid father did. She wrote about her day and her look on her life and she was surprised that he'd even read it.

"That's my secret." Toushiro said from behind her. "No ghosts, just the things which are dearest to me."

"But…" first time in her life she was speechless. "I wrote such stupid things… and you didn't even know me."

"Karin. I always had a feeling that I knew you from your letters. It was like… I don't even know how to explain it." He sighed.

"I understand." Karin said, turning to face him. "I… feel the same way. After all you have been my best friend for all this years…" She really didn't know what she did to deserve all this.

"Karin, I wanted to thank you." He said. She gave him a quizzical look. "For coming here. For letting me finally meet you. I know that it's going to be hard to separate now but… I'm still glad that you are here." He smiled, taking her hand and squeezing it lightly.

"Me too." She said, smiling sadly at him. She didn't know how to tell him her emotions running wildly around her.

"I want you to go home." He added. His expression had now changed into a serious look. "It's dangerous here, the accidents today was a great example. I can't afford to put you in danger anymore."

"But I…" she was interrupted when he put finger on her lips to silence her.

"Please, Karin. I can't even think clearly when you're around." She held her gaze into his eyes, but finally nodded in defeat. She didn't want to add anymore problems for him.

"But you still have a few days, lucky girl. The constable told us, that a section of the train tracks have been damaged from the storm. I don't know how many days it will take to fix it, but it will be no more than a week, I'm guessing."

Karin forced a smile and nodded at him. She didn't know if she should be happy or not. She wasn't any happier that she'd still have a few more days with him, she would still have to leave him in the end, but she didn't have a choice. She needed to be safe for him.

They exited his private room and they chatted some time longer, about their lives and what they didn't know from the letters. When Karin started yawning, Toushiro almost physically had to force her get to bed. But he knew that she wanted to be with him even just for the last second, and right now, he knew he felt the same.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

The next four days passed normally. Karin was waking up early, doing her chores, playing with the twins and when night came and everyone was asleep, she would have their usual rendezvous with each other.

She just loved being with him. They would talk about many things, which they wanted to ask each other in person and Karin had to admit that every day she felt she became closer and closer to Toushiro. Every time she thought about the remaining time she had left before she leaves the mansion, the heavy feeling in her heart would suffocate her. She didn't want to leave.

Now that she'd met Hitsugaya Toushiro in flesh and blood, she had finally admitted to herself that she, Kurosaki Karin, had fallen in love. She had never believed she could find love, deciding that this feeling was only for proper ladies, not like her, untamed and rough around the edges. She always thought that love was only a feeling found in fairy tails, but now she knew it was true.

She felt happy every time she was in Toushiro's presence, and she wanted to see him when she was away from him.

She sighed, walking through the corridor. She was doomed. Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea after all…She was trapped and cornered and she had no way of getting out.

She wondered down the hall lost in her own thoughts. She stopped when she caught sight of the forbidden room to which Momo had told her about. This mansion seemed to have so many secrets that it was giving her headache.

"Cathrine, there you are." She heard a sweet voice from behind her. She turned around to meet a cheerful Momo, "Oh, I see that you're curious about this room." she said, pointing at the door.

Karin looked at the girl, expecting to see a cross expression on Momo's face, for being curious about their family's business. But to her surprise Momo didn't get angry but if she was mistaken, it looked like a look of understanding. It was strange for her, really.

Momo saw her expression.

"Don't worry, I would be curious too if someone told me to stay away from something." Momo smiled brightly with an understanding tone. "You see, it was nursery room once."

"Nursery room?" Karin raised her eyebrows.

From what her Yoruichi had told her, Rangiku moved into the house with Hiyori when the girl was grown up. So why was there a nursery room?

"Right, you don't know about it." Momo sighed, looking sadly at the doors. "Rangiku and Toushiro-sama's older brother had a son, not long before his death."

_Now_ Karin was surprised. She didn't know anything about Rangiku having a son…

"You didn't hear about this?" Momo looked at her, not expecting her not to know, "The child died." She sighed again. "He was only eight months old. It was a big hit to everyone in the family, especially Rangiku-san and her husband. It took her a very long time to recover, but even until now, she still isn't completely like she used to be." Momo had a look of worry on her delicate face.

"What happened?" Karin asked, looking at the older girl. She was learning more and more every day about this mansion.

Momo shook her head, moving her gaze to the floor.

"Now, I'm sorry but I have to go." With that she rushed off in the direction of the stairs.

'_What the hell is going on here?'_ Karin asked herself, looking at the doors, before walking away. She felt really sad for Rangiku… losing her child when he was so young, that must've been terrible.

She glanced at the nursery one last time. An uneasy feeling washed over her, she sighed and hurried off to do her work.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

It was a fine day outside, and spring was awake in every corner of nature. However the same thing couldn't be said about everyone's thoughts.

A girl paced around her room, impatient and deep in thought, "…No no no…that won't do…." an angry frown present on her face. How dare that filthy Kurosaki Karin take away _her_ Toushiro? He was hers.

_He was meant to be with her, not with this stupid, ugly slut! _She bit her lips a murderous expression on her face.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, a smirked formed on her pretty lips. She was not going to wait any longer.

She had plan…

'_Have your fun while you can, Karin.'_ The girl thought, studying the beautiful refection of herself in the mirror.

Now. Beautiful things were said to be poisonous.

'_You don't have a long time before you.'_


	7. The culprit

_A/N. Hey guys :D Sorry for longer update, but something came out :D _

_And thanks everyone for reviews, you are really great :D_

_So, enjoy reading this new chap and give me a wrod what you think about it :D_

The final day of Karin's stay made its way to its ending phase. She had already told Momo and Rangiku that she needed to leave because of family business. The elder of the women was devastated and Karin could only smile politely when Rangiku started to complain deploringly about her leave and asking her to stay longer.

This same thing could to be said with the twins.

"Please don't go!" Sougyo said, clinging on to her left arm with all his might.

"We want you to stay here!" Kotowari whined, clinging on her right side.

"I'm sorry boys, but I really have to go." She said regretfully, ruffling their snowy hair and smiling sadly at them. "I wish I could stay with you too."

"So stay!" Sougyo said, hugging her tighter.

"Boys, don't make it harder for Cathrine." Their mother, Ukitake Retsu, smiled sadly at Karin.

When the girl had been playing with the boys, Mrs. Ukitake had taken care of Karin, and both women became very close. Karin liked her, especially her motherly nature, she reminded her of her own mother when she was alive. But when she got angry…Let's say, they were all running for their lives.

"I really want to stay, but I'm needed at home." Karin said to Retsu, returning an equally disappointed smile.

"I understand. Family is most important after all." She looked down at her two boys, who were still clinging to Karin like their life depended on it.

She spent almost an hour at Ukitake's house, talking with Retsu and playing with them for the last time.

When it was time for her to leave, she headed back to the mansion with a heavy heart.

The change in Toushiro was also evidently noticeable. He had been walking around with his usually icy demeanor, only now it was two degrees colder. He would sometimes be lost in his thoughts and often tuned out when other people were talking to him.

They planned their last meeting tonight night, and Karin was immensely impatient waiting for the time to arrive. She knew that it was going to be rather sad night, but she didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk with Toushiro for one last time. She was going to miss their conversations, especially when she didn't know if they were going to write to each other or stop their contact completely.

She sighed as she headed back to her temporary bedroom for the last time. She changed her clothes and waited until the clock struck eleven. Then she left her room and went down to Toushiro's bedroom. She knocked five times, as they had agreed as the code and he opened the door and let her in.

"How was your day?" he asked when he closed the door behind her, after making sure that no one was around to eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Full of saying goodbyes and doing normal chores." She answered, her shoulders limp, depressed. "One of the worst days of my life." She walked over to the window and looked out into the darkness. Everyone was in their homes, bedrooms lit, preparing to sleep or already sleeping.

"And yours?" She asked a little deflated.

"Not much better than yours." Toushiro heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his messy locks. He walked closer her and pulled her into a hug her from behind. It seems he liked to hug her and he did it a few times already.

No surprise, she didn't mind at all. "I couldn't think about anything except that you're going to leave tomorrow." He added sadly.

"Hm." She nodded and rested her hands on his, which were locked together around her waist. "I really don't want to leave. I don't want to _leave_." She was frustrated now. She stared at his transparent reflection in the window.

"I know." He said, chin rested on top of her head. "Karin… I've been thinking all day…" He paused.

"That's nothing new." She said with smirk.

"Shush. I'm not finished" He snapped, but gave small smile.

"Ok, ok, sorry. What?"

"I found a solution for our problem." He announced. Karin was a little skeptical, "But it means that you have to leave the day after instead." She turned around in his arms, curiosity clearly written on her heart shaped face. She wasn't complaining though.

"And why is that?" Maybe her sisters would have their lives like they wanted after all.

"We are going to get married." He announced a little nervously, looking her into her granite colored eyes.

"Excuse me?" she said, looking on him dumbly. "Should I remind you that we are in this situation because we _can't _get married?" she asked, looking at him.

"Let me explain." Toushiro sighed, he was determined to make it work.

"Tomorrow, I will tell them that that I have some business to do in the city, and because of that, I'm going to join you on the train. When we arrive, we will get married there. My friend is priest, and he said he will wed us. I have arranged for you to stay for the night in a hotel and on the next day, you will head home to your family." He explained, his eyes locked on her taking in her reaction. He had spent half of the day thinking about it and he really didn't know what she thought about it.

Karin was slightly shocked. She hadn't expected this at all. She felt like they were some kind of banned lovers.

"But about you? Are we going to be separate for the rest of our lives?" She didn't want to be apart from him when she would finally be his wife.

"No." he answered as he brushed aside a stray hair which on his face. "I'm going to take care of this 'ghost' business." The crease in the middle of his brow deepened. "That way I can make sure you'll be able to live here safely as my wife." He breathed out his breath tickled her cheeks, "If that doesn't resolve, as a last resort, I'll burned down the mansion and we could just live somewhere else." He was looking deeply in her eyes now.

"But what about all the people that work here?" Toushiro smiled at her. It was just like Karin, they were talking about their future and she was worried about others. That was one thing he loved most in her.

Yes, he had finally admitted it two days ago. He was in love with Kurosaki Karin.

He shrugged "If they don't find another job, I could always hire them again." He answered. "But back to the main subject. What do you think?"

Karin didn't know what to think. Really, this wasn't something she ever thought she'd do, she was almost left speechless.

"Would you really burn the house down where your father and grandfather lived? Where _you_ grew up?" she asked, looking deeply in his amazing teal eyes.

He shrugged like it was just a bruise, "I wouldn't be happy without you so I don't see any sense in staying here without you. As long as you're there, I don't see this building being a home at all."

If Karin was another girl, she'd probably be crying in his arms now, but she didn't feel need to. She was touched, indefinitely, but she understood him too much and she was just deeply happy. She encircled her arms around his waist and hugged him closely. His arms tightened around her, bringing her even closer to him.

"Do you agree?" he asked, burying his face into neck.

"Of course I do, dumbass." That. Was her answer and that was all Toushiro needed.

He found it a little amusing, what kind of girl would answer like that on their proposal of marriage? "You know that I love you, right." Well, these words slipped from her tongue before she could stop herself.

She felt him stiffened and panic started to arise in her. Should she have told him? Maybe he didn't feel the same? And now he was going to be angry at her for telling him something like that.

Toushiro pulled away from her to look into her dark eyes.

"Did I hear something wrong?" he asked uncertainly, searching for an answer in her eyes. Karin shook her head without a word, looking at anywhere but him. When she felt his hand caressing her cheek she looked up. "Did I ever tell you I feel the same." She blinked few times processing this information.

After few seconds Toushiro smirked. "And no, you're not dreaming?"

"Shut up." She said flushing crimson.

Toushiro smiled at her before leaning down. He cupped his hands at the base of her neck and brought her face closer to him. He looked her in the eyes before pressing his lips onto her soft ones.

She froze. The world seemed to halt, sounds melted away, and her head began to spin. She didn't know what to do; this was her first kiss after all. But she felt like she was on cloud nine.

Toushiro's lips fit perfectly on hers, and when she felt his tongue delicately licking her lower lip she opened her mouth on instinct. When his tongue entered her mouth she groaned slightly, her hands grabbed onto his shirt and brought him closer. He moved a hand down her back and pressed her closer to him, while the other was tangled in her ebony locks.

There was silence in the room, though the temperature rose and after moment their lungs were screaming for air. They pulled apart slightly panting for air.

Karin was blushing fiercely and Toushiro thought that she looked very cute with rosy cheeks and swollen lips. But he knew better than to comment. She'd probably kick him if he called her 'cute'.

"That was… something." She said when her brain started to work again.

"Glad you enjoyed." He smirked at her, raising a hands to her cheek and caressing it.

She blushed again.

"Don't get cocky." She snapped, looking away as she felt the color deepen a shade.

"Ah. But you know it's true." His smirked grew wider when she glared at him.

"Why did I even say anything?" she asked herself rhetorically.

"Because, it's true." He hugged her closely, and when she rested her head on his chest, he planted a kiss on it.

"Toushiro?" she asked, interrupting the comfortable silence which grew between them.

"Hm?"

"Do you know what's going on here?" she heard him sigh, before he pulled away.

"I think I should tell you." He answered, releasing her but taking her hand instead. He moved over to an armchair which was sitting in the corner. "But it would be more comfortable if we sit down."

She sat down and he placed himself next to her. He took her hand in his before speaking.

He looked into her eyes, "Since I've told you about the story of the ghost, it would be easier to tell you everything from the beginning." He licked his lips, "You see, the problems started when Rangiku and Hiyori moved into the mansion. In the beginning, everything had been great. My brother was very happy with his wife, father and Rangiku also had good marriage. But after my father's death, everything changed." She watched the comfortable expression on his face change as his eyes left hers and focused on their hands instead.

"Not very long after my brother was announced the heir of the mansion, his wife was killed. Everyone said that it was an accident, but we found out later, that it was no accident. Rangiku saw water spilt on the stairs, which made my sister in law slip and fall down the stairs. My brother was beyond torn because of it and soon after, he'd killed himself in his office." He started to play with her fingers. Karin could see the hurt in his eyes.

She ran her other hand through his hair soothingly. "But that's not all. Before my father's death, he and Rangiku had a son, my youngest brother. But he only lived for eight months." Toushiro paused for a second before continuing. "When Rangiku went to feed him in his nursery one day, she found him lying dead on the ground next to his cot. She was crushed, just like my father. It took her more than a year to put herself together, and then my father died. And I just couldn't make myself to take Hiyori from her after all this happened. I knew it was hard for everybody but…Rangiku wouldn't be able to keep herself together if Hiyori was taken away from her."

"What are you talking about?" Karin asked him, furrowing her brows. "What does Hiyori have to do with it?"

Toushiro sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"She was the culprit." He gave her the shocking news, "She was seen in my little brother's room just before he was found dead. She was also seen with a glass of water on the day my sister in law was killed. And she was the last person who had spoken with my brother before he committed suicide." His gaze moved back on her. "Everything seemed to fall into place, and look at her behavior towards you."

'_I still think that she isn't the culprit.' _ Karin thought to herself, but didn't say anything.

"What would happen if someone told the constable about it?" she asked curiously.

"She would probably end up in lunatic asylum…and I just…Rangiku begged me not to do it. But now…too many people are hurt, I'm regretting it. I need to talk to Rangiku tomorrow after our wedding." He sighed tiredly. "Being the heir sucks."

"But…" Karin paused for a moment and looked over at him. He had a troubled look on his face so she decided to leave it alone; for now at least. "You're doing great job." She tried to encourage.

He looked up at her.

"Really, I mean, everyone likes you. You're fair and know how to take care of your land." She said, looking at him. "And your relationship with Ukitake and his family is great. I was surprised in the beginning that the heir of such a big estate is even mingling with pheasants.

He raised an eyebrow at her "Don't look at me like that, you know that it isn't common. You will be a great father one day, you know?" she smiled at him, when his eyes widened slightly at her implication.

"You really think so?" he asked, looking at their joined hands again.

"Of course." She answered, squeezing his hand lightly. "Why would I lie about something like that."

Toushiro furrowed his brow, thinking about something.

"Karin, I…" he stopped for a moment, before continued briefly. "can I ask you something."

He looked very uncomfortable about the subject, but in his eyes there was determination, and if she wasn't mistaken, there was a blush on his cheeks.

"What is it?" Karin asked, curious.

"I…" he paused again, before taking deep breath. "I wanted to ask you…" he stopped again, before turning fully to her. "Karin, give me a child. A heir who can continue our family." He said, looking deeply in her eyes, his cheeks were burning now.

Karin was speechless. Really, she didn't know how he managed to leave her so speechless so often. But this time it wasn't that strange. Well, asking about _that_ wasn't a common thing. Didn't it come with being married?

She was quiet for a moment.

If something would go wrong - she didn't want to think about it, but she was a realist after all and real life wasn't a fairytale - she would at least have a tiny part of him in her life.

She knew that she would love their child; she loved their father with all her heart. She knew that being a single mother wouldn't be simple, but she was going to marry Toushiro the next day.

She believed that her family would help her. She shook her head mentally. She shouldn't be thinking of something like that, she should believe that Toushiro would take care of this whole situation without any trouble at all.

"I mean, not now of course." Toushiro quickly, interrupting her silence. "After the wedding. Wait, I wanted to say…God." He ran hand through his hair, he was a little embarrassed.

Karin couldn't suppress her laughter.

"What's so funny?" Toushiro demanded.

"I'm sorry." Karin cleared her throat trying to stop. "You just looked so…funny." She almost started to laugh again but stopped herself.

"Glad I amused you." He said, turning away like he was brooding.

Karin mentally scolded herself. Here he was, asking her about something perfectly appropriate, and she had laughed at him.

He was still looking away from her somewhat pouting a bit. She smiled at him, before moving closer and pulling him in hug. He snaked his arm around her shoulder and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't asked you a question like that." He said, resting his cheek atop her head.

"I will."

"What?" he thought he heard wrong.

"I said, _I will_?" she looked up at him sideways. "I'm saying that I would give you a family."

Toushiro stiffened for a moment. He never intended on asking her at first place, he had just blurted it out, and when he had done it, he wasn't expecting an answer.

"A….are you sure?" Nervous, he looked down at her.

"Of course." She answered, smiling. "I told you that I love you and we will be married tomorrow, so…" she trailed off, not really knowing how to finish the sentence.

Toushiro kissed her, it was a different kiss, slow and passionate pouring all his feelings into it. Karin was taken by surprise but answered with a passion.

After a moment they pulled away, both flushing deeply.

"Before leaving tomorrow," Toushiro started, holding her closely to him. "Take Sougyo and Kotowari for a walk, ok? I'll meet you at the top of the hill. That way you would be able to spend some time with them before you leave." He pushed some stray locks from her face, a smile played on his lips.

Karin nodded her head before a yawn.

"Sleepy?" he smirked at her, pushing her hair behind her ears.

"A little." Karin answered her eyes already droopy.

Toushiro looked down at her. She didn't even know how beautiful she was to him and that was one more thing which he loved in her. She wasn't like other women who just cared about looking good on the outside, money, or class.

If his father was alive, he would thank him for choosing Karin as his betrothed.

Toushiro furrowed his brow, remembering the day when their arranged marriage was sealed. He was only what? Thirteen years old? If not younger.

Not only Kurosaki's family head had been there, but also another family. He didn't remember their name but they had brought their daughter along with them, maybe in hope that, that way, the Hitsugaya family would be convinced to to choose their daughter instead. Toushiro briefly remembered that the small girl was indeed beautiful, but she wasn't for him. He winced when he remembered her kicking and screaming and crying after his father had signed a contract with Kurosaki Isshin.

Toushiro looked down at the girl in his arms. She looked so peaceful asleep. He knew that he should wake her, but he just couldn't bring himself to disturb her.

'_I'm awake before the others anyway.' _he thought picking her up bridal style and placing her down on his bed. _'It won't hurt if she slept here tonight.'_

# I am the hitsukarin line #

The next day, Karin was in her room making sure that her bags were packed properly and that she had brought everything along with her. After being satisfied that she'd brought everything, she went down to take the boys for a walk for the last time.

Her mind drifted back to this morning when she awoke, a blush tinted her cheeks immediately at the thought.

_Flashback_

_Karin woke up just when the sun was peeking over the horizon. She shifted a little, and noted the unusually comfortable softness supporting her. She was surprised to find that she was lying on a very cozy bed, unlike the one she had in her room on attic. But at the moment she didn't care, it felt too good just lying there. And it smelt like Toushiro as well, fresh and minty. _

_She moved slightly and felt a weight on her waist. Opening her eyes, she was met by teal staring down at her. _

"_I was just going to wake you up." Toushiro whispered, already dressed in his perfect smart clothes. "You should go back to your room before someone catches you." He added, brushing back some stray strands from her face. _

"_Why I'm here?" she asked, rubbing her droopy eyes, she wasn't fully awake yet. Toushiro smiled at the sight of her, amused by her childish gestures. _

_She blushed slightly when she realized that she had slept on the same bed as him last night. _

_Toushiro smirked, pleased at her reaction, knowing what she was thinking. _

"_You know, you just couldn't resist." He said, deciding that little fun wouldn't hurt anyone. _

"_W-What?" she asked, knowing her face had probably deepened a shade._

"_You know, we were sitting and talking and then…" he trailed. Her eyes widened when he paused. "You fell asleep." He finished, giving her a smile. _

_She pushed him off the bed, where he was sitting._

_End of Flashback_

Karin bit her lip and tried to suppress a smile that was forcing its way on her face. She liked this playful side of Toushiro. She knew that he had a lot on his head, especially now, and to see him let that down once in a while made her happy.

She smiled when she realized that from today on she would be his wife. They were going to be wed.

She had been waiting for this moment for so long, and finally it was going to happen today. The memory of yesterday came back to her mind again – his proposal – it made her spirit fly. She had never felt this way before.

She was glad that no one was home, Rangiku had left with Momo to visit a friend, Hiyori went along with them as well.

But it was strange.

She was going to get married! And just a week ago, she was sure that she would end up in nunnery. And now, in few hours, she was going to be a bride. Her family would… she stopped suddenly.

'_How the hell will I explain this to my family?' _she thought, looking blankly in space. _'They all think that I'm with Aunt Yoruichi, not with Toushiro.' _

She had a feeling that Ichigo wouldn't be very happy if he found out that she just went and got married without having a proper ceremony with the family. And that she'd spent around a week in the house of her fiancé, and lying that she was at her aunt house.

She knew Ichigo, he'll probably start thinking about the many '_different things_' (not on the proper side) they could be doing together.

She cursed.

Her stupid brother would probably try and kill Toushiro for trying to lay a finger on her without his permission, ignoring the fact that he was her fiancé - Well, husband now, depending what was going to happen.

And knowing her father, he would most definitely be jumping around in the house and telling everyone he was going to be a grandpa, her sisters would be excited as well– each with different reasons. And maybe she would even have a baby…

Her cheeks burned again as she recalled favor that Toushiro had asked her. Well, they _were_ going to get married. Hey… although she wasn't very ladylike, and it was pretty be hard to embarrass her - but thinking about Toushiro has made her blush so many times lately, it was nauseating.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt something crash onto her and there was a sudden weight hanging off her back. She turned her head to the side and looked straight into a pair of twinkling green eyes.

"Hey, Kotowari." She smiled at the boy who grinned at her happily.

"Cat-chan!" the boy exclaimed clearly excited, he squeezed her really hard and for a second, she wondered if she would be suffocated from the hug.

"We're going for a walk!" he declared happily, jumping up and down.

"I believe so, sweety." She said kneeling down to allow the boy to climb down from her back. "Where's your brother?"

Before Kotowari could answer, Karin could hear a happy laugh and the sound of footsteps running in their direction. She looked up just in the time to catch the second twin before he jump at her stomach.

"Hey, to you too." She said to him which earned her big grin in reply.

"Where are we going?" the twins jumped around her happily.

"To the hill. Have you been there before?"

Sougyo and Kotowari nodded eagerly, "Mommy likes to go there often." Sougyo said, taking the lead before his brother.

On their way, the twins were chatted happily her about their exciting day, but mostly telling her about the school which they were going to attend. They said that "Shiro-sama" took care about it and they were very excited about it.

Karin smiled. She knew that Toushiro was very close with Sougyo and Kotowari so it didn't surprised her much.

"This is the place!" Kotowari shouted, pointing at the huge hill and running ahead.

"Our mommy always sits here with us!" Sougyo added before dashing after his brother.

Karin moved after them and as she went closer she spotted a bench slightly hidden by a bush. It was a lovely place, lush and green, and the height made it possible to look down at the beautiful landscape surrounding them. It made for a very good spot to sit and relax, or to think about ones problems.

She saw the boys sit down on the bench, conversing fondly, and their legs swing about, she smiled. Moving towards them, she sat down along with them earning giggles from whatever they were talking about.

It was moment later among the twins' laughs and whispers, and playing among themselves that she heard a rustling of grass.

Guessing it was someone coming towards them from the path. She stood up, sure that it was Toushiro who had promised to join them a little later.

But she didn't see the mop of white hair and the teal eyes she'd been waiting for. Instead she was met with a short women, not much older than herself.

She had dark, hair just like her own, and her hair was short just below her ears. The girl narrowed her dark eyes and shot an even darker glare at Karin.

She had her hands hidden behind her dress, and Karin couldn't see what she was hiding behind her.

Karin felt uneasy as the girl approached her slowly. She knew that she worked in the mansion, assisting the cook in the kitchen, but she had never spoken to her. In fact, she was known to be a very quiet person, and rarely spoke to anyone else herself, let alone with her. It didn't make sense at why she was here at all.

"_What was her name?_" Karin thought deeply, flicking through the names in her mind to find a match, but she just couldn't remember.

"Soi Fon-san." One of the boys said in surprise, the usual cheerfulness in his voice was, however, absent.

She looked at both the boys, who were watching the approaching woman with a wary eye, huddled together on the bench.

She moved her eyes on the woman.

A slight breeze, with the air of the sea, blew past them, and when it began to pickup harder, Soi Fon's dress moved slightly and Karin eyes widened.

Now she knew why the older girl had her hands hide behind her.

In her right hand she was gripping blade. It wasn't very long but good enough to make a deadly wound if she was not cautious. And Karin had seen what Soi Fon could do with knife in the kitchen, thank you very much.

Her mind whirled quickly.

Soi Fon was looking at her with a dangerous smirk on her face, and Karin knew that this wasn't just your plain coincidence-on-a-pleasant-afternoon-stroll situation.

She glanced at the boys,"Guys, listen carefully." She looked at them in the eyes and both of boys nodded seriously. "When I tell you, run. Run as hard as you can and go to the mansion and find Toushiro."

She didn't care at the moment that she'd called her 'master' by his name. "Tell him to get help. Don't stop and don't look back. Do you understand?" She hugged them both.

They nodded noting the situation and glancing at Soi Fon nervously. They weren't dumb, even smarter than your average kids at their age, and the twins could tell that, whatever it was that made their Cat-chan nervous, it was connected with the woman before them.

Not that they liked Soi Fon much themselves, either. They sat quietly on the bench waiting for the sign from Karin.

"Good morning, Shisaki-san." Soi Fon said, reaching them at the top of the hill, finally standing in front of Karin. "Or should I say _Kurosaki_-san?" she added, smirking at the girl. "I'm sorry, it should be _**Kurosaki-sama**_?"

Karin stood up slowly, standing straight. She looked the girl in the eyes without fear (at least as best she could) and hid her surprise.

_How she did she find out about it? _She silently pondered herself. But from the by the look of things she knew that there was no point in hiding the truth.

"Kurosaki-san is good enough, thank you." Karin answered curtly.

"So, you are not going to deny that you are Kurosaki Karin?" Soi Fon looked at her nonchalantly.

"No, there is no point since you know." She answered, keeping a sharp eye on the knife, now perfectly visible to her.

"I see." Soi Fon paused, unimpressed that she couldn't taunt her more. "Well, I thought that it would take more time, but I guess we can just get to the point of this whole situation."

"What do you want?" Karin blurted out a little too quickly; she was shifting away from the boys silently. She didn't want them to get hurt.

She didn't have much of an option, and she needed to direct her attention away from Sougyo and Kotowari. _She _was Soi Fon's victim and she had to find a way for the twins to get away and run back to bring help.

She wondered where Toushiro was. But then again, she had left a little earlier than she was suppose to, hoping to spend more time with both the boys.

Why the hell did her life be so abnormal?

Soi Fon laughed in her face, "Oh Nothing much. You just have something that I need." Soi Fon shrugged her shoulders.

"What?" Karin was confused, "What do I have that you need?" she felt ridiculous.

"Oh, let's say, your life?" She had spoke of it like it was like a simple possession that you could throw away or give it away.

"What? Why?" Karin was not surprised, but she was beginning to feel the urgency of the situation. "W…who…"

Ok, in the beginning she had suspected that Momo could be the one behind everything, but now it was clear that she was wrong. And she was sure Hiyori wasn't the culprit either.

"That's not your problem." Soi Fon cut her off calmly.

"Like hell it isn't, you want to _**kill**_ me! And it's not my problem?"

"Don't take it too personally." The older girl started to play with the knife in her hand, Karin shivered slightly. She didn't even have anything to protect herself with. "It's just something that is bound to happen. Don't try anything, and I will do it quickly."

"In your dreams! You really think that I'd just stand here and allow you to kill me?" Karin folded her arms angrily.

"Just wishful thinking."

"Fuck you." So what? She was angry.

"Yare, yare, it looks like my work won't be so easy after all." Soi Fon sighed tiredly, and suddenly lunged at Karin almost immediately.

Karin was prepared for it, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get away from the hill without a fight, so she took a readying stance which Ichigo had taught her when she was young.

Taking the advantage from the fact that her dress reach the ground and covered the position of her legs, she put one of her legs behind her which would allow her to regain her balance in case Soi Fon tried to make her fall.

Karin blocked Soi Fon's arm when she brought it down to slice at her and caught the wrist of her other hand before it tried to hit her on the head.

"Run!" Karin screamed to boys, who took off, running for their lives in the direction of mansion.

"That won't help you, you'll be dead before they get help." Soi Fon smirked, sure of her victory.

'_No chance, missy.'_ Karin thought. _'There is no way I'll give up that easily.'_

She lifted her knee to kick Soi Fon on the stomach, but she moved away before it hit her. She twisted her wrist from Karin's hold and attempted her second attack. Karin, remembering what Ichigo and her father had taught her, pushed Soi Fon away.

Her opponent almost fell down but regained her balance quickly, taking another swing at Karin aiming for her stomach. Karin moved back quickly. She swore at the size her dress and wished it was shorter so she could move more freely.

Soi Fon was in better situation, since she was more lightly dressed, which was usually what the maids wore. So she had an advantage over Karin, and this unnerved the younger girl.

Soi Fon jumped at her again and Karin tried to free her legs from her dress, but, oh joy, they both got twirled in her dress and both women lost their balance.

Soi Fon landed on Karin, and the younger girl winced when her head hit the ground. Before she could say anything, she felt the cold blade on her neck.

She looked up, "It's time to finish this." Soi Fon smirked at her.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

Toushiro was heading down the stairway, trying his best to hide his smile.

He was happy, he admitted it. After all, it was going to be the day of his wedding with the girl that he loved - even if it was going to be hidden for some time.

He opened the doors on his way to the hill, smirking at the thought of Karin and the boys.

When he stepped out of his front door, something hit him on the legs. He looked down to be met by two pairs of terrified green eyes.

He furrowed his brows at a panting Sougyo and Kotowari.

_Shouldn't they be with Karin?_

"Shiro-sama! you have to help Cat-chan!" one of the twins shouted hysterically, gripping his pants tightly, and shaking it vigorously.

"She is going to die!" the second added, both of them were on the verge of tears.

Toushiro felt his heart sink to the bottom of a hole.

He bent down to look the boys on the eye.

"Where is she?"


	8. I'm not going to give up

Karin stared into the dark eyes of Soi Fon when she felt the cold blade of the dagger on her neck. For a second there, she thought she saw her memories flash through her mind.

…_The times when she was k__icking a ball around with Ichigo._

_Chattering __late into the night with her beloved Yuzu._

_Arguing with Lurichiyo about stupidest of things. _

_The L__etters from Toushiro and the excitement which came with it. _

_Seeing Toushiro for the first time._

_Playing with t__he twins._

And finally _last night…_

That was when she realized, she wasn't ready to die, and these memories gave her more strength than anything else.

Soi Fon's knife had only graced a small cut on her neck when the younger girl suddenly gave her a kick. She lost her balance and Karin seized the opportunity to grab her arm and hit her wrist, the dagger dropped to the ground, leaving Soi Fon unarmed.

Karin saw this as a chance to fight for herself.

"It's no use Kurosaki Karin. Do you really think that this will make any difference?" Soi Fon stated with an arrogant smirk on her face. Oh yeah, she was totally aware that she was stronger than this small girl in front of her.

But she was going to be proven wrong.

From the beginning, when Soi Fon found out who Karin was, she had already labeled her as one of the delicate ladies of the castle, who couldn't do anything except read, drinking tea and going to fancy balls. So she was a little surprised when Karin had shown her that she could throw a punch.

Soi Fon was interested to know how sharp this girl was and frankly she was getting bored with just killing her victims with no challenge, in this case, just kicking Karin off the cliff was no fun.

She had not expected Ukitake's twins to be with Karin, but she wasn't worried. After all, she was one of the best assassins in the country. She would be long gone before help would arrive. Her smirk grew wider.

On the other hand, Karin was in a different sort of mind set. She knew that Soi Fon was very dangerous, and stronger than herself. But she was a Kurosaki, and she wasn't going to give up without a good struggle. She was going to fight as long as she could. If she let some chick win over her, she would never hear the end if Ichigo - even if she was dead.

"Of course I know it'd make no difference." Karin rolled her eyes at Soi Fon's smirk. "Either way, you wouldn't be able to kill me." This wiped the smirk from Soi Fon's face.

The older woman lunged for Karin, throwing a high kick at her stomach. Karin did the only thing instinct told her. She ducked and rolled aside as Soi Fon rushed at her.

And then something happened none of the women could predict.

Karin hadn't realized how far they had moved towards the edge of the cliff, away from their original place, and by the looks of it, neither did Soi Fon. She had been standing at the edge of the cliff.

Karin looked terrified as the older woman tried to regain her balance from rushing at her, but with no avail. Then everything seemed to move in slow motion, as she watched her fall forward and down.

Snapping out of her panic, Karin did what her reflexes told her. She jumped to the edge and looked over it. She didn't know if she should feel relief, but she felt it when she saw Soi Fon hardly hanging on tightly to a crevice of the cliff. She just wanted to get away, had never thought of killing anyone.

Karin spread out on her stomach and extended a hand down to the woman. Soi Fon looked at her as if she was crazy.

"What are you doing?" she asked incredulously, scowling up at her, although she felt her muscles were going to give up any moment. The sea wind was whipping about their dress and hair, and the salty air suddenly felt like smell of death.

"What do you think?" Karin hissed at her annoyed, though she never took her hand away. "I'm trying to help you, moron. Just take my hand!"

"Why? I just tried to kill you!" Soi Fon said giving her a cautious look.

"That's your problem, not mine. I can't let someone die when I can help it." Karin answered. After all she had been taught to help others. Even Soi Fon didn't deserve this, so she wasn't going to just stand there and watch her die. "Just take the damn hand!" She could see her strength was beginning to waver.

Soi Fon looked into her determined eyes. There was a moment of silence except for the whipping of the wind.

"No." the woman replied shortly.

Karin blinked.

"What?" she asked incredulously. Here she was, trying to help this woman who was hanging by her fingers off a cliff and she was refused. What the hell was wrong with this woman?

"I'm an assassin. I have my pride." Soi Fon answered with her chin up – if she could raise it any further than it is - stubbornness and determination painted on her face. "I refuse to accept any help from my victor."

"I hardly call that winning over you!" Karin shouted desperately, praying that this was all just some sort of stupid dream. "You _accidently_ fell from the cliff, how the hell is that me winning you?"

"It doesn't matter." Soi Fon shouted stubbornly. "I have lost. Good bye, Kurosaki Karin. It was a good fight…."

With that, Soi Fon let go.

"No!"

Karin screamed in dismay when she watched Soi Fon fall, but she couldn't do anything about it. She watched with widened eyes as the figure of Soi Fon became smaller and smaller until it disappeared between the rocks under the cliff. She didn't move from her position, her arm outstretched over the edge of the cliff.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

She didn't know how long she stayed in that position, staring at the waves crashing into the rocks below. It felt like everything was suddenly silent.

"Karin!" she snapped out of her daze when she heard Toushiro's voice, but she didn't move, lying on her stomach on the ground.

Toushiro ran as fast as he could up the hill, and towards the cliff. He could feel his heart beating like crazy on his chest from the adrenaline and the fear. When he saw the girl who he loved lying on the ground, his heart nearly stopped. He sped up in desperation, Ukitake trying to follow closely behind him.

Toushiro halted to an abrupt stop, his lungs were screaming for air, and yet he found that he couldn't breathe. He gingerly knelt next to Karin, peering at her to see if there were any wounds, but he dared not touch her fearing the worst.

She was so still, her face expressionless. He noticed how pale and sickly she looked.

"Karin." He shook her shoulder lightly, hoping to earn her attention, but when she gave no reply, he shook her harder, "For Goodness' sake, Karin, answer to me!" He was desperate.

"She fell." Karin said, turning her eyes to him finally. "I wanted to help her, but she decided that she would prefer to let go….to….to die!" she almost screamed, deciding that anger was the best emotion to let free now. She would deal with her shock later, when she was alone, without any witnesses. She didn't feel like sharing her feelings with anyone at the moment, not even Toushiro. After all, she wasn't very good at sharing her thoughts about death.

Toushiro gave her a worried look. He knew Karin was strong, mentally and physically, but watching someone fall from the cliff when you could've stopped it, it wasn't something anyone could easily take.

"Come on Karin, get up." He said, taking her arms and help straighten her up.

He looked at her closely, studying her like a book. There was a bruise visible on her face, but that was all he saw at the moment. He hoped that it was all of the injuries she had sustained. Really, he felt like killing Soi Fon himself if she was still alive which looked to be very doubtful as he looked over the cliff himself.

Karin didn't feel very well, after all, she was almost killed and then she had to watch someone die. Her ankle was throbbing and she supposed that she twisted it or something when she fell when Soi Fon had pushed her. But she wasn't the one to complain, this job is left to Yuzu and Lurichiyo. She was more like Ichigo – stubborn and dislike to show weakness – she was good at masking her troubles.

Well, usually at least.

But when she was around Toushiro, she found that it didn't work. She had no idea how this man does this to her.

"How are you feeling?" Toushiro asked concerned, his steal eyes bore into her grey ones.

"Don't worry I'm fine, Toushiro." She answered, rather impatiently, she hated that question; uncomfortable with how she felt. But she had to admit that she was really glad that he was worried about her.

She looked at him only to find his eyes boring into her. She swallowed and looked at the ground, "… I think." He was still watching her with a raised brow, "…a little shaken maybe…" his brow went down but he was still looking at her skeptically. She bit her lower lip, "Oh, fine. I'm still shaken and shocked, ok? I mean she was trying to kill me!" she pouted. Angry that she had to look so belittle in front of him now.

Karin decided that it's all the doing of her shock. She would never admit that on her own, but she knew that Toushiro would never made fun of her because she was afraid slash scared. When he delicately brushed her hair from her forehead and placed his hand on her cheek, she was reminded again at why she was so in love with this man.

"It's okay Karin." He comforted and pulled her into a strong hug, completely dismissing the fact that Ukitake was not far from them. "I almost had a heart attack when I saw the twins." He said, resting his cheek on her hair and hugged her closer.

He had almost lost her… again.

He only hoped that this was going to be the end of all his troubles. Why couldn't his life be clearer and easier?

He was pulled from his thoughts when Karin suddenly snorted with laughter. Toushiro furrowed his brows and pulled away slightly to look down at her. Not that he was complaining, but snorting while being in the arms of her loved one, after being almost killed, isn't what the average lady would do. At least in his opinion, however he wasn't quite sure how it is with Karin.

"What a great wedding day, huh?" she said looking up at him.

Toushiro smirked and looked into her eyes. Would anything with this girl be normal? He had a suspicion that his life had become very interesting since he met her.

"Hopefully it'd get better." He answered giving Ukitake a look. "Tell the men to look for Soi Fon's body. I want the proof that she is dead."

Ukitake nodded at him with a wide smile at the two love birds, but didn't ask. Like always, the heir would tell him later if he wanted to.

"I'll take Hisagi and Kira for a search." He said and he started walking down the way they had come earlier, leaving the couple to themselves.

"We should go back to the mansion." Toushiro said, turning his eyes back to Karin. "And I really wish I don't need to ask about it, but I have to. Can you tell me what happened here?" he felt Karin shiver slightly so he rubbed her shoulder tenderly. "I'll have to report everything to the council, so you'll have to tell me every detail. I'm sorry."

Karin only nodded her head. She really didn't want to think about it but she also understood that this was necessary. She shook her head. She wasn't some damsel in distress. She could do it, her nerves were stronger than this.

"Ok, as soon as we get back to the mansion I'll tell you everything." She said looking into his eyes to gain more courage. She could be strong but more courage wouldn't hurt her.

Toushiro smiled, "But first we have something else to announce." He said pulling away from her and taking her hand before heading back to the mansion.

"What?" Karin asked generally curious, glancing at him.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

They took their time to stroll back to the mansion.

"Rangiku, Momo and Hiyori should be back by now." He answered, running a hand through his fluffy white hair. "Now, that the danger is over, we can tell them who you really are." He didn't want to wait until everything was too late anymore "They have the right to know, after all. You will be the new misters here soon anyway. It would be better to tell them now, I guess." He had changed his mind. He didn't need another chance of missing her.

Karin paled slightly. She hadn't really thought about the moment when they would be pushed into telling the rest of the Hitsugaya's family about her true identity. She wasn't afraid about Rangiku's reaction. She suspected that the woman would be delighted.

The ones she was afraid of were Momo and Hiyori. She had the idea that both of them were… pretty fond of Toushiro and they wouldn't take it lightly if they found out that he was 'occupied'.

Well, at least she wouldn't if she was in their shoes.

Toushiro turned to look at her when he was met with silence as an answer. He furrowed his brows when he saw her pale face. He didn't know if it was because of Soi Fon or because of the idea about talking with the three other occupants of the mansion.

In the second case he didn't see much problem. Well, maybe a little with Hiyori, but it shouldn't take the teenage girl long to calm down afterwards.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, squeezing her hand lightly to make her feel better. "You're not scared, are you?" he added with smirk.

This clicked her on, "O…of course I'm not scared!" she answered with slight blush on her cheeks, she turned her head in the other direction. _Kurosaki Karin scared? No way in hell I'm going to admit that_, "It's just… I'm _little_ conscious about the reactions from Hiyori and Momo." She said, emphasizing the word 'little'.

Toushiro seemed surprised, "I understand why you are afraid…" she glared daggers at him.

He cleared his throat before correcting "why you are _conscious _about Hiyori's reaction, but why about Momo?"

Karin looked at him pointedly.

"Huh? I mean, didn't you noticed how she was reacting at my presence? She was treating me like some sort of enemy, even if I didn't do anything to her." She said. She was aware that she sounded like a whining baby, but she didn't care. Well, at least not now. "And she had been like that from the beginning. Don't tell me that you don't know."

But to her big surprise Toushiro just laughed.

Really, he just laughed and she found she couldn't stop the little smile which blossomed onto her face because of it. She couldn't get angry at all - Though she had to admit that he had a really nice laugh. It was…..sexy….

"It's not funny." She murmured under her breath, looking away to try hide her delight, when he stopped.

"Karin, I'm sorry… it's just, you're taking it all in the wrong way." He said halting his steps. Taking her arm, "Momo's feelings to me are only as a sister's. Believe me, there is and would be nothing between me and her." He was secretly happy about her jealously, "And why she was treating you like that? You ask. She always does that to the new maids." He said, glancing at the mansion which was now in close range. "In the past, there have been quite of few of the maids we employed, sorry for putting it this way, ahem they had tried to get-into-my-bed using any possible way." He exhaled in frustration rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Momo took it as her most important job to 'ward them off'. That's why she was treating you like that. Well, I suppose my behavior towards you was also the reason you're mislead I have to admit." He smiled at her giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "It's ok, you have nothing to worry about."

Karin looked into his mesmerizing eyes thinking about what he said. She knew that he was probably right, but she still wasn't sure if she could believe it or not.

Well, she guessed she'd find out soon.

"Karin." Toushiro tried to make sure the second time, "Trust me. Everything will be fine."

Karin didn't know how he did this to her, but she trusted him. She always considered herself as a person who didn't trust people easily, but with Toushiro, it was different.

Sometimes she felt as if he was the only person with whom she could trust with all her mind and soul.

"Yeah. At least, she won't try to kill me." She gave a stiff laugh, reminded about what had happened just few minutes ago.

Toushiro looked straight into her dark blue eyes, the feeling of pain and fear rushed back at him. The thought that he could've lost her…

Karin yelped when Toushiro suddenly pulled her into the hug again, but she smiled into his shoulder. She had a feeling that he had been as scared as she had been there. Then she remembered something.

"Toushiro?"

"Hm?" The vibration of his voice against her hair sent shivers down her spine.

"Soi Fon said that she was an assassin. Doesn't that mean that someone had hired her to do the dirty job?" she felt that Toushiro stiffen before pulling away to look into her eyes. He was quiet for a moment before relaxing slightly.

"She had been working here for almost a year now." He answered "Even if she is an assassin, I don't think she'd be on a mission for that long. And if she was to kill you, she had a year to be at your place to kill you, why here and now?" He brushed away the hair which fell over Karin's eyes. "Don't worry, everything is over now."

Karin nodded. She hoped that his words were true.

# I am the hitsukarin line #

Karin stared at the three women in before her, fighting to suppress her urge to laugh.

Really, their faces at the moment were just absolutely uncanny. Momo was in state of deep shock, seesawing her gaze between Toushiro and Karin, eyes big as dinner plates. Hiyori was look at Karin blinking rapidly with a stupid expression while Matsumoto had her mouth wide open and shock in her eyes.

They were pretty much dumbstruck at the moment.

Karin glanced at Toushiro, who was sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulders and his usual smirk present. She could also see sparks of amusement in those pretty orbs of his.

"So you… Cathrine is… I mean _she_ is… Oh God, I need my sake." Rangiku said, slumping back on the armchair.

"So when Toushiro broke the contract you decided to come here?" Momo repeated her question again, but Karin was so surprised when she heard the excitement in her voice. The older girl had changed her behavior towards Karin when she found out who she really was. Well, at least Karin had hope that it wasn't the result of the shock and everything would change back to what it was later again.

"Yeah, I know it's not very…um smart? and thoughtful, but I just had to find out." Karin laughed sheepishly.

"OOoooh, I think that is so romantic!" Rangiku squealed suddenly sitting up straight again. "The heartbroken girl decides to follow her lover without even caring for her life." She looked ahead with a dreamy expression and sparkling eyes. Much like when she was drunk, Karin thought quietly.

Karin decided that there was no use in correcting her.

One, that Toushiro hadn't been her lover right then (he wasn't now either, more like fiancé) and; two, she hadn't known that she was in danger.

She glanced back at Hiyori, who was looking at her thoughtfully. She didn't know if it was a good sign or bad sign.

Rangiku turned her eyes onto the girl. She had noticed the look on Karin's face when she was looking at Hiyori and the older woman had to hide her smirk. She wasn't surprised that her soon-to-be-daughter-in-law was anxious about the reaction of youngest family member. Hiyori had pretty bad temper, but they didn't know one thing she knew…

"So, my dear little daughter what you think about the big news?" she asked, snaking her arm around her beloved daughter.

She harrumphed, "I hope that she isn't really as clumsy as she was as Cathrine." She snorted, a smirk slowly graced her lips.

It was Karin's turn to be dumbfounded. And she was even more so when Hiyori didn't make any other comments. Not very polite, but what did you expect from Hiyori? As long as it was cool she wasn't complaining.

"So then, now there is only one thing left to do." Toushiro said a matter-of-factly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"What is it?" Karin cocked her head sideways and looked at him along with the other women in the room.

"Inviting your family to the wedding." Toushiro replied in his low husky voice, his smirk was more mischievous than usual.

Karin paled.

Ichigo and Toushiro in one room? After her brother finds out about what she did…It's going to be a catastrophe.

Karin almost groaned.


	9. Meeting the family

_**A/N: **_**Again, sorry for the break. But that happened for different reasons. :D**

**And thanks again to my beta, who are doing great job with my mistakes. :D**

**Enjoy~ **

* * *

Karin was nervously waiting at the main entrance of the mansion, with the door open. Momo and Rangiku had decided to accompany the anxious girl. She was pacing back and forth furiously, occasionally throwing glances out at their main path.

'Great, here comes the day of my doom' she sighs taking another glance.

This was the day where her family was going to finally met Hitsugaya Toushirou and find out that she had lied to them. That she had not been learning how to cook from Aunt Yoruichi, but in fact spent almost two weeks living in the home of her fiancé AND, just to top things off, she was almost killed.

Just perfect. They're going to flip. She was so dead.

She was not so much worried about her idiot of a father, rather, she was sure that Ichigo was not going to let it go. Damn overprotective brothers.

She only prayed that Ichigo was not going to end up doing something stupid, as always. She was glad that Rukia was also coming, as she was the only one able to stop him. But the thought was about as comforting as knowing when you'll die compared to knowing how you'll die.

Karin sighed quietly to herself. Really, her brother had bad temper. Well, she had a bad temper too, but that's not the point.

The point is, it's really no big deal. Right? So why is she getting the feeling that she's done the wrong thing.

She jumped slightly when someone touched her shoulder. She turned around only to look straight into a pair of lovely bright golden eyes. It was her beloved Aunt Yoruichi.

She gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "Don't worry, kido." Yoruichi said, her trademark grin plastered across her face. "We are in this together after all."

Yoruichi knew very well of Ichigo's protectiveness of his younger sisters, and he might not take it well. After all, she had lied to them as well as Karin and there was no mercy from the orange haired man, and she knew it. But when she had spotted how Karin and Hitsugaya were looking at each other, she had decided that this was worth it. She'd never seen the black haired girl so happy. She had initially been worried when Karin had presented her, her plan to see her fiancé, but she knew she wouldn't of been able to stop her. After all, the girl had the Kurosaki stubbornness and there was no way to get her to back down.

"Thanks, aunt Yoruichi, I only hope that Ichigo won't do something rash." Karin replied, glancing out the door again.

Yoruichi laughed at this. "You are aware that we are talking about your brother here, aren't you?"

Karin turned her eyes to look on the older woman and sighed. Yeah, they were talking about Ichigo after all. But let's face it, there was no way that he wouldn't do anything rash.

Karin remembered this one time when Ichigo had been breathing the fire when he had caught Lurichiyo as much as holding hands with some boy during a party. It took Rukia two hours in their bedroom to calm him down. And Karin didn't want to know the details about how she had managed to do it. She had her suspicions and that was pretty much enough for her, thank you.

" I could always hope, right?" Karin replied with a grimace. She decided to go sit in a chair which was standing nearby. "I'm just relieved that Rukia is coming too. If not, I'd be so dead."

Yoruichi smiled at it but didn't say anything more as the sound of a carriage could be heard nearing the mansion. Karin gave Yoruichi a nervious look, while her beloved auntie gave her a cat like grin.

"Oh! It looks like the guests are arriving!" Rangiku sang, looking like she was going to just bound down from upstairs in one big leap, exclaimed how wonderful it was for everyone. Well, at least some one was happy.

It took a few seconds before the three other women came down to meet Karin and Yoruichi. Rangiku was over the moon about meeting new people and Momo looked little anxious about it, but Hiyori just looked. Just bored. Nothing new here after all.

The more the carriage approached, the more nervous Karin became. Really. It wasn't that she was scared of her brother, she had gotten herself into trouble quite often, but this was the first time she had done something so… serious. Usually Ichigo was angry at her only for stealing his clothes from his drawer or fighting with some guys while dressing up as a boy.

But running away from home and eloping with her was-ex-fiancé? That's got to be the worst thing she's done.

Karin took big shaky breath and took a glance through the window again just in time to see the carriage come to halt right in front of the main entrance. She clearly saw the Hitsugaya family crest engraved on the carriage that Toushirou had to send it to the station to pick them up. The white dragon encircled around a sword always made her proud somehow that she was going to be the part of his family. The dragon was majestic and stood proud, just like Toushirou, at least she thought it did.

"I think that we should go and greet them, not stand here like idiots in the hall." The voice of the white haired man, who was recently occupying her mind all the time, came from behind their back and she turned around to greet him nervously.

"He is right. It's time to face Hurricane Ichigo!" Yoruichi looked enthusiastic about it, glancing at Karin, who only nodded.

"Yeah, I think we should. He'll change into Armageddon if we keep him waiting." Karin replied hurriedly.

"Oh, stop it you two, it can't be that bad!" Rangiku cut in smiling broadly at the comedy which was about to unfold. At least in her opinion it was going to be comedy. In Karin point of view it was more along the lines of a horror. "I'm sure that he'll take it as a joke, like the rest of us!" adding on chirppily.

Karin and Yoruichi only looked at her with resignation. She certainly didn't know Ichigo.

"Let's go, it's not polite to keep them waiting." Momo said gently pushing Rangiku forward, the lady of this house until Toushirou married, to greet the guests.

"Everything will be all right." Toushirou whispered reassuringly into Karin's ear, following the others out. Karin on the other hand, was especially trying to slug back, enjoying last moments of silence and peace that she has.

"You don't know my brother." She whispered to him, looking worriedly into his eyes. They always had this calming effect on her unlike anything else. She liked it.

"Maybe, that will change soon." He smirked at her with a mysterious smile.

Karin only mumbled something under her breath, and headed out from the hallway into the fresh air outside just in time to see Ichigo greeting Momo. When his eyes met her, she was sure she saw red flames burning in them.

Yup, she was dead...The Armageddon has erupted!

"You!" Ichigo shouted, pointing an accusing finger. Karin nearly ducked, only the find that surprisingly, the finger was not aimed at her as she anticipated. If she did see it correctly, it was pointed at Toushirou who was standing next to her with his hand on her shoulder.

"Me?" Toushirou asked, giving a cool look at Ichigo who was now moving towards them.

"You. Are the reason why my sister ran away from home without even telling anyone!" Ichigo continued, louder with every word. Karin felt a headache was coming.

He Just shrugged, "People usually don't usually tell anyone when they are running away." the younger of the two men answered, starting to find Ichigo's anitcs amusing.

"Don't play smartass with me! The fact that my sister did what she did is entirely your fault!" Ichigo pointed his finger at Toushirou again who only raised his brow.

"Ichi-nii, don't be moron! He didn't…" Karin started, mortified; only to be stopped by her brother's glare.

"Don't you dare make any excuses to defend him, Karin. I will deal with you later!" Ichigo said, before turning to his main victim.

"You made my little sister behave in the way she never did, to break the rules…"

Karin snorted. "As if I'd never done that before."

Ichigo ignored her.

"To not acting like a woman should…"

Karin stomped her foot, "I'm never do that anyway, so what big deal?"

A vein popped into his forehead. "To make the rest of the family worry about her…"

"You thought that I was at aunt Yoruichi, so why you would be worried?" She hurrumphed.

A second vein popped. One was just too lonely.

"To behave as if she was ill mannered…"

"You're doing that too!"

"Karin, shut up already!" Ichigo clapped his hand over his sister's mouth to stop her from interrupting him again. What was wrong with this girl?

"You have something else to add to this…er list?" Toushirou asked calmly, one brow raised.

"Yes. You made a scarlet woman from her! I won't be surprised if she is pregnant right now!"

The reactions to this were different. Karin stopped struggling and blushed deep red. Toushirou blinked twice, Rangiku erupted into fit of laughter at the thought; Momo and Yuzu both flushed a deep shade of red and clasped their hands over their mouth to stop the loud gasp and Lurichiyo and Hiyori were looking at them with anger and disbelief, in which Karin wouldn've found surprising if she wasn't to occupied to notice it at the moment. Isshin on the other hand, had little stars in his eyes at the thought of grandchildren.

Yoruichi nearly burst out laughing at the idea, as the the idea was just absolutely ridiculous. Really. Toushirou was acting so sickingly proper, according to what Karin had told her that she almost died from boredom hearing it.

However the reaction of the last person in the house was probably the most decent at the moment. Rukia simply walked calmly over to her stupid husband and hit him very, _very_ hard in the head with her purse. And according to the sound, it had probably had something along the line of rocks inside. Why? No one knew. But the effect was good enough. Ichigo landed on the floor rubbing his head furiously.

"Rukia! What the?"

"Shut up, idiot!" Rukia snapped, resting her hands on her hips. "Should I remind you how you were acting before we got married?"

Ichigo looked up at her speechless before turning tomato red.

"I thought so." Rukia giving him a satisfied smirk.

"Ichigo, my son! I want an explanation! Why are both of you still without children if you started before you were married?" Isshin jumped in front of Ichigo looking down upon him with horror on his face.

This earned a new string of laughter from Rangiku.

Karin sighed speechless at her family's antics. Why oh why was it her...

"I'm sorry for the idiocy of my husband, Hitsugaya-san." Rukia said, turning to her future brother-in-law. "Sometimes he just doesn't know when to close his mouth."

"I understand, Kurosaki-san." Toushirou replied politely, easing up slightly. "I think I have experienced it myself already, but coming from the other member of the family." He added, glancing at Karin with a smirk.

"Wha… Toushirou!" Blushing, Karin tried and failed to glare at him.

"Maybe we should all move into the house?" Momo suggested quietly, but strangely enough, everyone heard her.

Everyone followed.

...Xx..o..xX...

Karin heaved a tired sigh taking off her dress in her new room, which she had been rearranged in after her encounter with Soi-Fon.

It was bigger than the attic that she'd been staying in, and she was now on the same floor as the rest of the bedrooms of the Hitsugaya family. She couldn't help but blush at the thought of what Toushirou had said to her when he had first shown her to her new room.

_Flashback_

She stepped into a large room, looking around awed at her surroundings, Toushirou behind her with her baggage held in hand. He closed the door behind him, even if he knew that Rangiku, Momo and Hiyori were down in the living room and no where near them at the moment.

"Do you like it?" He asked, leaving the bag down next to her bed.

"Like it? Of course I like it! As long as it's not pink I'll like any room." Karin answered gratitude laced in her voice and smirking slightly.

Toushirou had learned already from her letters that she hated everything what was too girly and pink. That was one thing which made her different to all the other ladies he had seen. He didn't interact many women, not for the luck of their trying. The only women who he knew very well were the three he lived , Momo and Hiyori.

Rangiku and Momo pretty much liked very much the things which Karin hated, especially Rangiku, while Hiyori usually wore what her mother choose for her, for peace. Oddly enough, Hiyori's favorite color was acctually pink.

"I thought so." He answered, slightly chuckling at her, he started to move closer. "It's good that my bedroom isn't pink."

He smirked as her cheeks started to glow. God curse this man, he just loves to tease her, didn't he?

"I would prefer living in a cemetery then, thank you very much." She answered, sticking her tongue out at him childishly and turning to look through the window at the view outside.

It wasn't long before she felt two strong arms wrap around her body from behind, bringing her closer to the warm, hard chest of her future husband.

Karin leaned back into his embrace, enjoying the comfort he was giving her. She noticed that he wasn't the kind to show public affection. He preferred to keep their touches and kisses in a closed room where he was sure no one could see it or interrupt them. She didn't complain, she liked to have Toushirou all to herself after all.

"If I had a say, you'd have moved into my room already." Toushirou whispered, his breath tickling her ear. He took a deep breath and rested his forehead on her shoulder.

She suddenly had the urge to kick him on the shin. Pervert. But unfortunately he was smart enough to put his leg in safe distance. Comes from experience.

_End of flashback_

Karin smiled to herself.

She really felt happy with Toushirou. Like never before. She had only hoped that Ichigo would quickly overcome his anger and see that she has found a person which that she can wholly rely and loves terribly. And, to her great surprise, he loves her just as much.

She would never in her life expect that this great man would love her as much as she did him. She has always considered herself as not a very beautiful or a interesting person. She was a girl who preferred to run around like a boy, even if it was forbidden in their community.

Lurichiyo and Yuzu had said to her so many times already, that she would never find a fitting husband if she kept acting like that. Men prefer women who are more feminine and delicate, not one that could beat the daylights out of any random guy.

"Well, we'll see with who they'll end up acting like that." Karin thought with a chuckle.

Peering out at her bedroom window, she looked outside to see it was already dark outside. She could see the flickering of lights coming from Ukitake's house. Since the doors were opened, she could almost spot the twins running away from their mother who was trying to get them to bed.

Karin lips turned up into a smile at the thought, she wandered briefly if she and Toushirou would have children in the future and how they would look. She hoped that they would look like Toushirou, with his beautiful eyes and gorgeous smile. Maybe they'd have twins. She heard from her father once that there was high possibility of a twin having twins. Maybe they could have one girl with white hair and son with black hair?

Karin shook her head. What was wrong with her? She had never had thoughts like that before. But she couldn't say that she was disgusted because of her abnormal thoughts or scared that she was begginning to turn into day dreaming girl.

But to her surprise, she was excited and slightly anticipated, at the thought of creating a family with Toushirou.

She was knocked out of her thoughts from a knock on her door, and turned around. Who would come to her at this hour of time?

Everyone should already have gone to bed, and she was sure that Toushirou would never risk visiting her now when Ichigo was under the same roof. Especially when the orange haired man had given them a very clear message, that he was going to be checking up on Karin's bedroom throughout the night. It ended up with him under the table when Rukia kicked him. Karin remembered why she loved her sister-in-law so much.

"Come in." she said to whoever was outside.

The doors opened slowly and Lurichiyo sneaked inside, her hands hidden in the pockets of her skirt.

"Lurichiyo? Is there something wrong?" Karin asked worriedly as she was surpised at why she was sneaking in so late in the night.

They may have lived under one roof for many years and were considered to be sisters, but the black haired woman and blond haired woman did not really have a good relationship. They would be civil to each other and all, but for Lurichiyo to visit her in the night? It was considered simply strange in Karin's mind.

"Oh, it's nothing, I just wanted to talk to you about something." Lurichiyo answered giving Karin a small smile.

Karin furrowed her brows feeling slightly uneasy but nodded indicating she'd give her all her attention.

Lurichiyo gave a wistful sigh, "You see, there was something I have never told you OR anyone else..." Lurichiyo started, walking towards the opposite wall, "But before my parents engaged me with the man I'm now engaged to, they had wanted me to be engaged to this other family." Karin was watching her closely. Something in Lurichiyo's figure didn't seem right at the moment. It was as if she lost all the sweetness and delicate-ness that was always with her.

"The thing was, back then at the same time there was also another family who was also interested in arranging their daughter with that family as well." She sighed again.

Karin decided that the younger woman now looked like a person who knew very well what she wanted, and was determined to reach it. Karin didn't know what reaction to give her, she had never expected Lurichiyo to tell her anything so personal such as this.

Lurichiyo continued, not bothering to wait for Karin to answer. "But you see…" She strolled over to the book shelf and looked as if she was studying the titles intently, her hands still placed in her pockets. "The family chose the other family over mine. He _threw_ away the proposition of _**my**_ family, even when if it was greater than the other. He threw away **me**!" Lurichiyo suddenly turned around and looked at Karin with her green emerald eyes. She had never seen her eyes flame up with such malicious hate.

"_No one_ can do this to **me**! Not when who they chose was not even a reason to begin with! How _**dare**_ they do this to me? They chose the girl not even good enough to be _standing in my shadow_! And yet, she won." Lurichiyo sneered laughing bitterly. Karin was taken aback with the strange light in Lurichiyo's eyes.

"What… what are you talking about?" Karin found herself slightly stammer. Her intuition was not telling good things at the moment. She fixed her gaze on her very closely, taking in her posture. She suddenly realized the way that Lurichiyo had her hands in her pockets didn't seem very natural and it was making her nervous.

"Oh, I forgot, you don't know who it is." Lurichiyo laughed like it was something silly to forget. "Do you want me to tell you the name of this family, the boy that disregarded me?" Her tone moving up.

Karin furrowed her brow confused as to why Lurichiyo was telling her all this. It was very awkward and she didn't know how to respond. But then it hit her.

She had realized she had heard a similar story somewhere, some time ago. But that couldn't be right… she stared at Lurichiyo. Who was also throwing a very uncomfortable look at her which felt like it was making her squirm a bit.

"Ah, So I see that you get it, finally." Lurichiyo said, her eyes had seemed to be tinted with evil, "Yes, my dear Karin do not doubt yourself. I _am_ talking about _Hitsugaya_ Toushirou and how he chose **you** over me." Karin would have never imagined in her life she would see such ferocity coming from the lady in front of her.

"Lu…Lurichiyo, calm down. It was a few years ago now. You were just children then!" Karin desperately seeked to calm her down, recognizing the slight bump in younger girl's pocket. She had a gun with her!

"That doesn't matter!" Lurichiyo shouted hysterically. "I fell in love with him and because of _**you**_! _**I**_ was disgregarded! Our proposal was broken! I was sure that there was something between me and him but you had to come in between! Little ugly duck of the family, without any other chance of marriage. And you won! And I will NOT accept it!" She was screaming at her with rage now.

"Do you know how many nights I spent wondering why _you_ were the one that was chosen?" Lurichiyo laughed again and shook her head, Karin was sure she had gone insane. "Then it hit me! It was because they simply hadn't seen you in person. They surely had heard about your mother's beauty and thought that you were the same. But they were wrong, oh so wrong." Lurichiyo laughed shrilly.

"I won't tolerate you talking to me like that!" Karin snapped glaring on the girl as she dared to trample over people feelings. She was attempting to find away to get the gun away from the crazy blond.

"Ha! Do you really think I care if you tolerate me or not!" Lurichiyo rallied back. "I spent five years planning how to take care of you! Soi-Fon was going to help me with this…"

"Wait, Soi-Fon?" Karin looked at her in disbelief at the mention of Soi-Fon's name.

"Of course, what did you think?" Lurichiyo snorted. "She was going to eliminate every woman who came close to Toushirou from the beginning."

She almost jumped with joy, like a girl who was talking about cute dolls and clothes rather than attempted murder, "But then I thought about something different. Why wouldn't don't I make a heir of my beloved?" Lurichiyo smiled with sick smile.

"You didn't…" Karin paled.

Lurichiyo laughed delighted, "Oh, of course I did. It was simple. His father was already sick, that was easy, I didn't need to do anything and he'd just pass away. But then his brother would become the next inline. Since Soi-Fon had been working here for sometime already, she knew how much he loved his dead wife. So all she had to do was eliminate this woman and the rest was simple. Then I'd place a few things here and there to remind him of her, and the work was done." Lurichiyo's face suddenly fell, "But then _you_ had to come into the picture. In the beginning I had planned to make your death look like an accident. But you had arrived here safely so Soi-Fon had to eliminate you, but you just had to fight back didn't you? And that made it much harder." Lurichiyo shook her head disappointedly, throwing Karin a distressed look. "And then Soi-Fon died, aw. I never thought that you'd be able to kill someone, Karin."

"I didn't kill her, she fell!" Karin replied quickly paling at the thought. She hated to think that she had caused Soi-Fon's death. She had desperately tried to save her but…

"Ah, that's what they all say." Lurichiyo said, shrugging her shoulders. "But as much as I love this chat, but unfortunately we have to end it, because there is no way I will let you run away from this."

In the next second Karin found herself looking straight into the barrel of a gun. She had been anticipating it, but even then she felt scared when she had really found it pointed straight at her, especially so when she looked into the eyes of her captor.

The shades of green were so cold and determined there was void of any emotion but anger and jealousy. True, she and Lurichiyo never were close, but Karin would've never thought that this younger girl would do anything like she was about to do now.

"Don't _even_ think about trying to run, Karin." Lurichiyo said calmly when she saw Karin's eyes travelling to the door. "You are already dead."

"Why are you doing it?" Karin blurted out desperate to take her attention away even for a second, "You will be caught as soon as you shoot me!"

Lurichiyo shrugged, holding the gun steadily in her hand.

"It doesn't matter. Why do you think I was acting like I was a nice girl? To have the opportunity to kill you and take my revenge. There is nothing more important than this."

Karin flicked through her mind frantically trying to think of something. There was basically nothing much she could do, the gun was still pointed at her and Lurichiyo wouldn't stop herself from killing her.

_Was this really her end?_ Karin thought disheartened.

"_I got what I wanted."_ Karin thought ironically, remembering how she had always wanted something exciting in her life. Being almost killed few days ago and now being killed definitely was exciting.

Like hell it was! Maybe she should've just stuck to having peace.

"Where did you get the gun?" Karin tried again to change the conversation to earn some more time maybe some ingenious idea would pop into her mind…

Lurichiyo raised a pretty eyebrow, "From my father's office, after he died." Was the short answer, completely unfazed like it was just some toy she received? Usually when Lurichiyo talked about her parents she was sad.

"_All this time we were fooled, this bitch is a pretty good actress."_ Karin thought in disbelief.

But if she had planned this for so long, then all these years she had been hiding this anger within her. Karin could only imagine what the blond haired girl felt like living with her under one roof for so long.

_Ah, she shouldn't feel sorry for her for Goodness sakes! She was pointing the gun at her!_

She was suddenly pulled back to reality when she heard Lurichiyo say, "Now, say goodbye, Kurosaki Karin. It's time for you to die."

Time had seemed to slow. And then a few things happened at once.

The door to her room flung open and Ichigo came rushing into the room, his eyes widened at the sight of the gun. Without thinking, he jumped at Lurichiyo and attempted to take the gun from her grasp. Lurichiyo was startled but was not planning on loosing. She pulled the trigger the moment Ichigo grabbed her hand.

The loud ear crushing shot of a gun rang through the entire mansion.

All Karin felt was a sudden pain in her side and as the shock subsided, it was getting worse as she realized what had hit her. The pain was overwhelming as if a part of her body just burst within her. She had never felt anything like this before and she didn't want to feel anything like this ever again.

"So that's how people feel when dying." She thought numbly as everything around her started to fade and her body felt slightly lighter.

"Karin!" She had heard Ichigo scream before she hit floor. But she was she didn't even feel the fall, after all, her always very protective brother was beside her. She landed in his arms.

She felt the tears escaping her eyes as she started to think that she would never be able to see Toushirou, Ichi-nii, Yuzu, Isshin, Rangiku, Momo and Hiyori again.

She thought briefly if they would miss her. She definitely would, especially Toushirou and her brother, the two most important men in her life. She could faintly head footsteps in the corridor.

_So everyone heard the shot, huh? It wouldn't be a nice sight_. She wondered to herself.

Ichigo was kneeling on the floor with her in his arms. The side of her dress was all stained with her own blood. She tried to smile at Ichigo for the last time, but the pain in her side and fading energy was not letting her.

"Karin, hold on, everything will be all right, I promise." She heard Ichigo say with a shaky voice, his hands were trembling when he pushed his hands over her wound to stem the blood flow.

"What's…Karin!" She heard the voice she had fell in love with.

There was a sudden increase in rhythm of footsteps and a second person came kneeling beside her taking her gently away from Ichigo's arms.

For a moment the orange haired man started to do his work as a doctor. There was no way that he would let his sister die!

Karin tried to look up ato the person who was holding her as more tears came down her cheek when she looked straight into the teal eyes she loved so much.

"T-Toushirou…" she whispered when white haired man stroked her cheek.

"I'm here, Karin, don't speak. You have to save your energy." He said, attempting to give her a reassuring smile, but his eyes showed his worry. He glanced down at the shot wound and his eyes widened. There was a lot of blood the wound was severe. The look on Ichigo's face wasn't helping his fear.

Karin felt her eyelids dropping. She was sleepy…She needed to sleep.

"No, Karin, please, wake up." Toushirou slightly shook her arms. "You have to stay with me, you can do this!"

Karin's eyes fluttered opened again. But they were just so heavy…

"_Please, just let me sleep…"_ she thought looking into the eyes of the man who gripped her heart.

More voiced seemed to enter as her consciousness was failing even more.

"_What's… Oh my God, what happened here?"_

"_Karin, is she okay?"_

"_So much blood…"_

She could hear the voices of other women from the mansion. They all seemed so scared and terrified. Karin smiled. She would definitely miss them, even Hiyori.

She struggled to look take one last look into the eyes of Toushirou.

"I… l-love you…" she whispered, gripping desperately on to the last strip of her energy.

"Karin, no!"

But it was too late. Karin closed her eyes as the blackness took over her.

"Karin, wake up!"Toushirou shook her gently, then little harder, and harder as the fear overwhelmed him.

"Karin, dammit, don't do this! Wake up!" Ichigo shouted, his eyes travelling to his sister's face.

But Karin couldn't hear them.


	10. New beginning

Toushirou looked down upon the single rose in his hand before his eyes travelled to the blue sky. It was a warm day as lazy clouds drifted around in peace. He sighed. His emotions were exactly opposite of that at the moment. So many wrongs were done and so many losses encountered, all because of him. He shook his head in dejection. Karin would kick his ass if she knew he was moping right now, but sometimes he couldn't help but fall back into thought of the past, especially when he was alone.

He looked at the lonely grave in front of him.

He remembered Ichigo and Isshin's shock after the painful 'inccident'; it's how they refer it now. They had never thought or even dreamt that Lurichiyo was able to do something like that, to have planned so long to kill a person with cold blood and without an ounce of guilt and regret. He remembered how callous the girl had been whilst silently watching Yuzu's tears stream down her face when the other twin ran into the room where her sister was dying. They were supposed to be sisters and the closest of friends, and yet it was all a façade. Toushirou shook his head miserably; his hands came to his face to massage his temples in an attempt to relieve his disorder.

Love was definitely beautiful and yet a dangerous emotion. It could take you to heaven or damn you to hell, it pushes people to do things they never thought imaginable; to not act like themselves. But at the same time, life without love would be empty, sad and miserable.

He was a living example. Without Karin showing up into his life, he would've remained a cold withdrawn man closing himself off from everyone. Karin had been the first person he opened up to and she would be the last to truly hold his heart.

He was pulled out from his thoughts when he felt two slim arms circle around his shoulders from behind.

"What are you thinking about?" A very healthy Karin asked looking down at her husband of nine months.

He let out a low husky laugh, "You know. The usual. YOU." He answered looking at her with a smirk when he watched a blush bloom. Doesn't matter that they are married now, he was still able to make her blush.

"Jerk." Karin stated giving him a playful hit. She sat down beside him on the bench, resting her hands on her now very big stomach. She was six months pregnant and judging by the size already, it was highly possible she was pregnant with twins.

She couldn't be happier now. Her eyes travelled down to the grave of her father-in-law.

Karin looked to her left and caught Toushirou looking at her closely with a strange glint in his eyes.

"You were thinking about it again, weren't you?" She asked gently, taking his hand in hers. Toushirou only shrugged his shoulders and he reverted his gaze back to the grave in front of him, she sighed. "Toushirou, please stop it. Everything is fine now, I'm alive. Not to mention I have your child, which seem to have mean kick mind you and none of what happened before is your fault."

"I know, Karin." He said, playing with the rose in his hand. "It's just…every time I think about how close I was to losing you, I feel it again. The fear." He sighed and ran a hand over his face.

Karin smiled lightly at her husband and placed a hand on his cheek. When he turned his gaze back to her, she looked deeply in to his beautiful turquoise eyes.

"Toushirou, it's been 2 years now. Lurichiyo is under arrest and in a mental ward now, so she won't be going anywhere for a very long time. You have nothing to worry about." When he nodded his head she moved closer and pulled him into hug.

Toushirou hid his face in her shoulder and took a deep breath taking in her familiar scent that he felt so at home with. He loved doing that, it made everything more real, giving him the reassurance that she was alive and still here with him.

"And if I catch you thinking about it again I will kick your ass." Karin added, running her hand through his fluffy white hair.

Toushirou snorted in her shoulder, shaking his head. Karin never changes and he was glad. Maybe others thought that Karin wasn't perfect material for a wife. But he knew that Karin was definitely the perfect woman for him.

-Fin-

_**A/N: So, we, finally or so soon depents how you think about it, came to the end of the story. I hope that enjoyed the plot of it, and thanks everyone who reviewed or read it, adding to favourites and allerts. I really enjoyed reading your opinions about this story. **_

_**I also wanted to give my thanks to my beta, Moon of Jupiter. Without you, this story would be terrible because of my grammar. And also thank you for every suggestion concerning the plot. You really gave me good ideas. :D **_

_**And sorry, really sorry, for the cliffhanger in the previous chapter. I just couldn't stop myself, it was more dramatic that way. I hope that you will forgive me, and won't kill me. ;)**_

_**So, one again, thanks for staying with me during the writing. I hope that I will start second story soon, so we will 'meet' again. **_

_**Cheers.**_

_**Shinigami-karin~ **_


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